Folks, we are provided lemons, are we going to make lemonade?  Why has the
minority for the record, not proposed to table this issue in the Assembly,
even if the majority vote it down?  How much information does the opposition
need as a group to act?  The Nigerian press is doing their job by digging up
information about this scandal.  The Gambian independent press is doing
their job by getting information from their Nigerian counterparts and
sharing it with us.  The million dollar question is, why has the opposition
as a group not acted?  OJ and Darbo made initial comments, but what about
Halifa, Sidia, Hamat, and Waa?  If this is not one of the biggest heist by
these criminals, then what is?  If not now, the when?  Thanks to the
Independent and the Vanguard for their tireless efforts to shed light to
this heist.  Please read on.

Oil Scandal Still Refuses to Die


The Independent (Banjul)

May 16, 2003
Posted to the web May 16, 2003

Hector Igbikiowubo
Banjul

In a bid to enhance public understanding of the latest crude oil scam to hit
Gambia, The Independent is reproducing the Nigerian Vanguard's version of
the deal to crown the "scandal of scandals".

Petroleum supply: Gambia dumps ERMA for Sahara Energy...NNPC/PPMC involved

Check out allAfrica's debate on the election in Nigeria.
Click here.




The Gambia Government has dropped an indigenous oil company, Earth Resources
Management Agency (ERMA) for Sahara Energy Limited over the supply of
180,000 metric tones of petroleum products.

It was gathered that the supply of the products, which are originally
intended for the Republic of Gambia is diverted by those fronting for the
Gambian Government and that NNPC/PPMC and Sahara Energy Resources Limited
plays a role in what is going on.

This was contained in a protest letter sent to the Gambian Secretary of
State for Foreign Affairs, Hon. Baboucarr Blaise Ismaila Jagne by the
management of Earth Resources Management Agency Limited.

The protest letter disclosed that late last year, 15,000 metric tones of
petroleum products have been lifted by those fronting for the Republic of
Gambia.

Specifically, the breakdown shows that three separate cargoes of 5,000
metric tones of LPFO, were lifted from the Warri refinery in Delta State.

In the protest letter, ERMA also fingered some Gambian nationals, Messrs,
Ahmadou Samba and Idrissa Jobe whom the company said was responsible for
denying it of its due in the whole transaction.

The company called on the Gambian authority to pay it a one off commission
based on the total volume of products approved under the MOU recently signed
between the Republic of Gambia and NNPC/PPMC as presently being exported and
operated.

It was also gathered that the request for the supply of petroleum products
from the Gambian President, Yahya Jammeh to his Nigerian counterpart,
President Olusegun Obasanjo, was originally for 20,000 barrels of crude oil
per day and another 20,000 barrels of petroleum products per month.

The correspondence between the Presidency and NNPC/PPMC reveals that the
latter was not in a hurry to honour the Gambian Government's request even
when President Obasanjo had directed that the foreign affairs minister, Sule
Lamido and the NNPC GMD, Mr. Jackson Gaius-Obaseki to act on it.

Efforts to get the NNPC's reaction to these developments proved abortive as
the manager in-charge of group public affairs, Ndu Ughamadu could not be
reached and no other staff of the corporation was willing to speak.

When the request was eventually honoured, the PPMC managing director, Dan
Nzelu dispatched a letter to Mr. Taiwo Ojo, the personal assistant to
President Obasanjo notifying him that following a series of correspondences
from the Republic of Gambia regarding the supply of petroleum products, a
memorandum of understanding has been drafted.

The PPMC managing director also stated that the memorandum of understanding
has not yet been signed because nothing has been heard from the Gambian
Government on the issue.

A PPMC staff who is well aware of the transaction but was reluctant to speak
for fear of having his name in print however disclosed that the management
never wrote to notify the Gambian Government of this development.

The staff however declined to explain the motive behind the PPMC's action
pointing out that it is not within his area of competence to determine the
motive of his superiors.

The letter from the PPMC managing director to the presidency disclosed that
the products approved for the Gambian Government include, 20,000 barrels of
crude oil per day, 10,000 metric tones of AGO per month, 3,000 metric tones
of PMS per month, 2,000 metric tones of Jet A1 per month and 5,000 metric
tones of Fuel oil per month.

However, after the Gambian authorities dropped their Nigerian facilitator,
Earth Resources Management Agency Limited and employed the services of
Sahara Energy Resources, the NNPC/PPMC suddenly came alive to its
responsibilities.

It was disclosed that as soon as Sahara Energy Resources took over as
facilitator, the request from the Gambia was mysteriously increased to
360,000 metric tones. Specifically, following a series of letters and
representation to the NNPC Group Managing Director, Jackson Gaius Obaseki
and the Managing Director of PPMC, Dan Nzelu, the original request was
changed.

The memorandum of understanding eventually signed between the NNPC and the
government of the Republic of Gambia which was represented by Sahara Energy
Resources disclosed that only the supply of 180,000 metric tonnes was
approved for a period of twelve months.

The breakdown shows that the following quantities of products shall be
supplied during the period, 60,000 metric tonnes of AGO, 45,000 metric
tonnes of PMS, 45,000 metric tonnes of Fuel Oil, and 30,000 metric tonnes of
DPK. The MOU also disclosed that the ex-depot prices of the products shall
be, N20.60k per litre of AGO and PMS each, N18.890k per litre of DPK and
N8.30k per litre of Fuel oil.

It was further gathered that these prices are subject to change at NNPC's
discretion, without the prior notice of the Gambian government.

While the MOU also states that products shall be lifted from any NNPC depot
by truck or by vessel to any other West African port for onward delivery to
The Gambia, it was gathered that some of the products lifted on behalf of
the Gambia are being diverted.

In order to cover its tracks, those involved in the transaction on the
Gambian side, have all been re-as-signed to other duties and this includes
the Gambian High Commissioner, His Excellency, Maba Jobe and others.

When contacted, the West Africa Service director for Sahara Energy, Wale
Ajebade said that the company is oblivious of any shady deal in the
transaction for supply of petroleum products to the Gambia. While disclosing
that he handled the transaction for his company, he said that the company
was contacted to lift the products, but declined to state who contacted the
company.

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