Please link to the story below:
Group seeks NSA intervention in Sahara Energy’s Ogoni oilfield interest (sweetcrudereports.com)
We would like to state for the record that Sahara Group (nor any of its affiliates), including Sahara Energy International (SEI), did not pay any bribes as falsely alleged in the article to the current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory or any other persons towards getting support for OML 11 acquisition.
We also categorically state that SEI did not collude with “certain individuals and some state-owned companies” regarding OML 11 acquisition as incorrectly alleged in the unfounded story.
Sahara and all its affiliates hold corporate ethical values and reputation in the highest esteem in compliance with Sahara’s ANTI-CORRUPTION AND ANTI-BRIBERY POLICY.
Sahara does not in any form or under any guise tolerate fraud, bribery, corruption, or the abuse of position for personal gain, wherever it may be found. The policy, which all employees must compulsorily attest to every year, ensures compliance with anti-corruption laws, such as the Nigerian Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Acts, US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and the UK Bribery Act.
This includes compliance with all laws, domestic and foreign, prohibiting improper payments, gifts, or inducements of any kind to and received from any person, including officials in the private or public sector, agents, customers, and suppliers.
We affirm that Sahara has a funding and technical services agreement on OML 11 with the NNPC through WAGL Energy Limited – a joint venture between Ocean Bed Limited (an affiliate of Sahara Energy) and NNPC Limited with the aim of ramping up production and optimising the asset by providing funding and technical assistance following decades of the inability of the previous operator to work in Ogoni region of the asset.
As a foremost energy conglomerate committed to responsibly transforming the upstream sector in Nigeria, Sahara may explore an interest in the asset as we continue to seek opportunities to contribute to the growth of the sector.
In the event the opportunity to acquire an interest materialises, our involvement will be in strict compliance with our anti-corruption and anti-bribery policy and international corporate governance standards.
Ultimately, we reiterate that this allegation is not new and is part of previously published and syndicated stories published in online media by faceless so-called Media organisations, citing spurious sources, and spinning false narratives, with some dating back to 2019.
Please see links below:
We’ll Resist Operatorship Of OML 11 By Sahara Energy – MOSOP – Independent Newspaper Nigeria (Published April 16, 2019)
OML 11 : Group Vows To Resist FG Negotiations With Sahara Group – Daily Focus Nigeria (Published December 18, 2019)
We also comment that recent media reports indicate promising prospects in terms of collaboration between the NEPL and the Ogoni people towards reviving the fortunes of the asset after the inability of the previous operator (i.e. Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited) to work in the Ogoni region of the Asset for over 30 years.
Please see relevant links below:
https://guardian.ng/news/nnpc-hails-appeal-courts-judgment-on-oml-11/
https://www.thecable.ng/npdc-resumes-operation-at-oml-11/amp
Sahara hereby advises the public, our stakeholders, and partners to disregard these false reports and their variants which are being rehashed and syndicated in various news portals.
Sahara’s operations and processes are driven by business integrity and good governance as advocated by World Economic Forum’s Partnering Against Corruption Initiative (PACI).
We remain committed to transparency, a critical value proposition that propels the success of the Sahara Brand as we continue to bring energy to life responsibly.
