The deal for OPL 245 in Nigeria will face yet another investigation, this time Nigeria’s lower house of parliament has set up a committee to investigate the circumstances surrounding the award of license. The deal is already being investigated by Nigerian and Italian courts.

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OPL 245 was originally awarded to Malabu Oil & Gas in 1998 in a disputed deal, before Shell and ENI were awarded the license in 2011. The two international firms paid an estimated $1.3 billion, with some of it allegedly going to Nigeria’s former oil minister Dan Etete.

Nigeria’s House of Representatives mandated the committee to “conduct a thorough examination of the process and circumstances surrounding OPL 245 and identify culpability of any persons, groups or organizations,” committee chairman Razak Atunwa said in a statement.

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“The committee is aware of recent information that has come to light, both nationally and internationally, indicating that former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan may have been complicit in the controversial OPL 245 deal,” the statement read.

The committee is considering having Jonathan give testimony in the matter.

 

Source: Petroleum Africa