Femi Otedola says he has instructed his lawyers to file a N1 billion libel suit against Umar Sani, the former media aide to former Vice-President Namadi Sambo, who alleged that the billionaire entrepreneur benefitted from subsidy payments when President Goodluck Jonathan was in power.
Otedola also called on the federal government to release the full report of the Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede committee which investigated the alleged N2 trillion subsidy scam in 2012.
In a statement released on Sunday, Otedola said: “Zenon Petroleum and Gas Limited was wholly an importer and trader of diesel with a market share in excess of 90%, never traded in Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) and as such could not have claimed for subsidy under the Petroleum Subsidy Fund scheme.”
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He said he was the one who exposed the subsidy scam and could therefore not have been a beneficiary.
“I was the one who first alerted the President of the monumental fraud being perpetrated by economic saboteurs in the PSF scheme. When he called the then Minister of Petroleum, she denied it. With my strong determination to stop the economic malaise and bleeding, I called Senator Bukola Saraki and reported the fraud to him. He took it to the floor of the Senate, and from there the House of Representatives began its investigation,” he said.
THE FULL STATEMENT
My attention has been drawn to a mischievousand maliciouspublication written byoneUmar Sani, aformer Special Adviser (Media) to former Vice President Namadi Sambo, attempting to twist facts and drag my name intodisrepute andallegations of complicity in the subsidy fraud.His insinuations are false, baseless, and a shameless attempt to pander to lies and rewrite history. Let me set the record straightfor the overall benefit of the discerning public.
1. On claiming from the Petroleum Subsidy Fund (PSF):
Zenon Petroleum and Gas Limitedwas wholly an importer andtrader ofdiesel with a market share in excess of 90%, never traded in Premium MotorSpirit (PMS)and as such could not have claimedfor subsidy under the Petroleum Subsidy Fundscheme. Dieselhad been long deregulated even before the adoption of the PSF anddid not fall under petroleum products to be claimed under the PSF regime.Premium Motor Spirit (PMS)was the only product thatwas eligible for claim under the Petroleum Subsidy Fundschemein a bid by the Government to make the product available and affordable toall and sundry.It is therefore shocking that someone like Umar Saniwhooccupied a position of authorityand responsibility could displaysuch ignorance of basic industry facts in public. I view this aseithermischief (and taking advantage ofthe uneducated public) or ablatantdisplay of gross ineptitude.If Diesel did not fall under the subsidyregime, how can Umar Sanithenaccuse Zenon Petroleum and Gas Limited of impropriety underthe subsidy regime.
2. On Exposing the Subsidy Fraud:
I was a member of President Goodluck Jonathan’s Economic Team. Iamthe one whofirst alerted the President of themonumental fraudbeing perpetrated by economic saboteursin the PSF scheme.When he called thethenMinister of Petroleum, she denied it.With my strong determination to stop the economic malaise and bleeding, Icalled Senator Bukola Saraki and reported the fraud to him. He took it to the floor of the Senate, and from there the House of Representatives began itsinvestigation.These Statesmen are alive and my assertions above can be corroboratedif necessary.If I was complicit in subsidy theft, would I be the one to raise the alarm andblow the whistle onmyself? That aloneshould question the motive of UmarSaniforhis most recent publication on this matter.
3. On the Farouk Lawan affair:
When it had become public industry knowledge that I was the whistle bloweronthe subsidy fraud, some of the perpetrators decided to fight back by using theHouse committee on the probe, headed by Hon Farouk Lawan who tried to indict mewithout any basis.As they always say its only natural for corruption to fight back.The HouseCommittee on the subsidy probe was now being manipulated bythe subsidy fraudsters and thereby turning the probe panelinto an extortion racket.When the harassmentand blackmailbecame incessanton my person, Ipetitionedthe authorities and worked with the Department of State Security (DSS) in a sting operation. The money was provided by the DSS, duly marked, and handed over to me under security surveillance. I then gave it to Farouk Lawan in line with the stingoperation.That is on record. To twist that carefully documented operation into an indictment against me is laughable and only exposes the ignorance of Mr. Sani.You may be aware that theHon Lawanwas subsequentlyconvicted andsentenced to 5years imprisonmentfor bribery.The facts are very clear and public.
4. On the Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede report:
I implore President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to release the full Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede report on subsidy fraud as Nigerians deserve to know the truth. It is on record that the Presidency at the time called on the late EFCC Chairman, Ibrahim Lamorde, to halt the investigation. Let the report be made public so the realsubsidythieves can be unmasked.
5. On AMCON:
Theallegations andinsinuations about myinvolvement with AMCON areagain a demonstration of mischief and ineptitudeon the part of Umar Sani. I wonder why someone who twist publicly available information to miseducate the populace.I have never hidden the fact that Isuffered financial loses from the global economic meltdown of 2008 resulting in a huge debt exposure to the Nigerian Financial Services Industry.The loans were sold to AMCON. I in turn gave up my assets worthhundreds ofbillions of Naira to settle my obligations under a court-ordered settlement. It is on record thatAMCON itself publicly commended my approach and told other debtors to follow my example. Court recordsare therefor anyone seeking the truth to investigate. AMCON officials from that time are also alive today to confirm the truth. I even addressed this matter in my book,“Making it Big” which was recently published and released to the public.
6. Libel action:
Because of these deliberate liesand unfounded allegations, I have instructed my lawyers to file a₦1 billion libel suit against Umar Sani. People must learn that reputations arenot to be toyed with forcheap propagandaandalsoto serve as adeterrent for other mischief makers in the future.I will go to every extent that this is achieved.
To Mr. Saniand others who peddle these half-baked stories: go and read my book Making It Big, study the facts, and stop disgracing yourselves with ignorance.
I have nothing to hide and I have always acted in the interest of truth and accountability. Those who benefitted from subsidy fraud know themselves. I will not sit back and allow falsehood to be written into history.