Posted by John Donovan: 22 May 2023

OIL MAFIA SAGA: HOLLAND AND UNCLE SAM SHOULD KICKSTART THE “WHODUNNIT” DRAMA ON ENI AND SHELL’S OPL245 GAME IN NIGERIA

Transparency International and its chapters in the Netherlands and the US are pleading with authorities in the two countries to revive the great soap opera involving Eni and Shell, the alleged Godfathers of bribery in Nigeria.

Our darling oil titans are accused of generously gifting over a cool US$1 billion in bribes to the chums of then-president Goodluck Jonathan. All for a trivial piece of paper – rights to the OPL245 offshore oilfield. This is recognized as an absolute party for the people of Nigeria. Because, of course, nothing says prosperity like environmental devastation and corruption. Obviously, the US and the Netherlands launched investigations but had to slam the brakes due to some Italian courtroom drama.

However, in a twist of fate that rocked no one, Italian authorities donned their rose-tinted glasses and gave Eni and Shell a get-out-of-jail-free card in 2021 and 2022. Surprised? Neither am I. This is Italy’s favourite dance number, with both the OECD Working Group on Bribery and Transparency International’s Exporting Corruption 2022 report pointing out Italy’s ‘effective’ action against foreign bribery. In light of the hot scoop that Nigeria’s attorney general urged the outgoing president to call it quits with Eni and Shell, the need for other countries to put on their investigator hats and take over the case has never been more urgent.

Meanwhile, the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) – Transparency International’s Nigerian branch – is begging the Nigerian government not to drop its charges. The Nigerian treasury might be looking at a not-so-little dent of about US$5 billion, thanks to the shrewdly negotiated terms of the OPL 245 deal.

Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, the big boss of CISLAC, moaned:

“Nigerians need answers. The outgoing government of President Muhammadu Buhari should turn a deaf ear to calls to halt litigation over a deal that might have made the Nigerian public just a wee bit poorer. This is especially important as the current government has about a week left before another band of merry men take over. The incoming government must ensure that we get to the bottom of this fiasco.”

Whatever fig leaves they might be trying to use to hide the truth, Shell and Eni paid over $1bn to a company called Malabu for the OPL 245 licence. Even though the payment was channelled through the Nigerian government, it was clear that Shell knew that the ultimate beneficiary was Dan Etete, the former minister of petroleum. Etete is the owner of Malabu, to whom he awarded the licence when he was the Nigerian Minister of Petroleum.

Shell management has a track record of putting profits first, before any other consideration, including the health and safety of its own employees. In other words, money before ethics. This is after all the company that financially supported Hitler and the Nazis. Google “Shell Nazi History”.

Shell is invited to point out for correction any factual inaccuracies and supply closing comments for publication as part of this article on an unedited basis. 

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NIGERIA OIL BRIBERY CASE: NETHERLANDS AND US MUST REOPEN INVESTIGATIONS INTO ENI AND SHELL’S ROLE

Both countries have an international obligation to punish foreign bribery

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