Minister of State Petroleum, Timipre Sylva allegedly collected $25million in kickbacks to influence the choice of Saipem, an Italian company in the $12billion Bonny NLNG Train 7 contract, sources knowledgeable about the deal told Pointblanknews.com.
This is even as the people of Bonny Kingdom in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria have called on the international community and foreign investors in the Bonny project to ensure that the Kingdom’s 30% stake from the $12 billion project as stated in the agreements is honored to avoid disputes and domestic and international legal challenges that might derail the project.
Also caught in the web of the Bonny NLNG kickback scandal is the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Local Content Board, Engr. Simbi Wabote, who allegedly collected $2million from a Kelvion, a German equipment manufacturing company.
Wabote is cousin and lackey to the Minister of State, Petroleum.
Wabote allegedly gave a waiver to the German company to export its equipment into Nigeria for the bonny LNG train 7 project against the Nigeria local content policy and against protests from Nigeria local equipment manufacturers.
Sylva allegedly was able to convince the Saipem Executives to path with the huge sums so he can share with some unnamed persons in the presidency so they can be named the preferred bidder.
Sources say Sylva also negotiated a separate $100million in guaranteed contract for himself, using a front as a sub-contractor from the $4billion Train 7 Contract.
According to sources as soon as Wabote who heads the Local Content Board heard about the kickbacks to Sylva, he devised his own means, fired a letter to Saipem in October 2020, raising concern over noncompliance to Local Content Laws.
Saipem, which had subcontracted Kelvion for equipment, swiftly directed them to deal with the Local Content boss. Sources said the German Company and Saipem paid a kickback of $2million to continue importations of equipment and materials from Germany.
Mr. Walter Peviani the MD of Saipem contracting Nigeria and Mr. Uzoma Ekpecham (Saipem’s local content partner) have taken the monopoly of contracts in the Bonny LNG train 7 project, they determine who gets what without regards to our local content laws. They are being enabled by top officials of NCDMB.
According to the people of Bonny” The people of Bonny kingdom have over the years been marginalized despite the environmental degradation and gas flaring that is causing respiratory diseases, cancer and many other illnesses to people in their communities”.
They claim that out of the more than 80 trainees sent abroad by Nigeria Bonny LNG train 7 project for training, only 3 individuals from Bonny Kingdom were included in the training lists despite the over 10,000 qualified Bonny indigenes.
The Bonny Initiative which alleged that the Bonny NLNG fraud and abuse of office at the NLCB based in Yenegoa, Bayelsa state, makes the OPL 245 Malabu scandal a child’s play, regretted that despite the huge presence of big oil firms and the NLCB, most indigenes are unemployed and not selected for the overseas training by the Nigeria Bonny LNG Train 7.
The group also accused the Managing Director of Lagos based Saipem Contracting Nigeria, Walter Peviani and their local content partner, Uzoma Ekpecham, of monopoly of all contracts involving the Bonny LNG Train 7 project, without regard to local content laws.
According to the group, the alleged fraud and wanted disregard for local content laws by Saipem is enabled by the NLCB boss, Wabote.
Saipem, in a joint venture with Daewoo E&C Co. Ltd. and Chiyoda Corp. won EPC contracts with Nigeria LNG Ltd. for the Nigeria LNG Train 7 Project at the Bonny Island LNG complex in Nigeria. The value of the contracts is over $4 billion and Saipem’s share is approximately $2.7 billion.
The whole project which will take about 60 months to construct will cost about $12 billion.
NIGERIA BONNY LNG TRAIN 7 FOR TRAINING.
ONLY 3 INDIVIDUALS FROM BONNY KINGDOM
INCLUDED IN TRAINING LISTS.
SURNAME, FIRST NAME & DEPT
1 AKEBIORO Oluwafemi CAA
2 OSUNSAN Obafunmilola CM
3 NNADI Ifeanyi CM
4 AGWUNCHA Chidubem CM
5 ONWUKA Ifeanyi CPL
6 ONOJA Annette CPM
7 SAGUA Eseoghene CPM
8 OYAKHIRE Omolua CPM
9 DAVID Uko CPM
10 BLESSED-SAYAH Grace CPM
11 SOYEMI Yetunde CPM
12 SALEH Hassan CPM
13 AGBAJE Aderinsola CSS
14 KELANI Jubril ER
15 OTOLORIN Adegboyega ER
16 GREENE Doreen ER
17 EGENTI Onyinyechukwu FN
18 SALAMI Olayinka FN
19 ONUOHA Chukwuemeka FN
20 OGUNYALE Babajide FN
21 AZEEZ Okikiola FN
22 OKE Oluwaseun FN
23 EGEM-ODEY Wukeh FN
24 ABDULLAHI Anuoluwapo FN
25 UDUMA Comfort GRC
26 SOKARI Tamunoimim HR
27 ALEX-HART Biebele HR
28 OYEWOLE Olanrewaju HR
29 DOGONYARO Sunday HR
30 IFAFORE Tunde IMT
31 NWAMU Phillippa IMT
32 SAAD Samira IMT
33 MBELU Chuka SD
34 MAINA Lawan SD
35 TUNJI Akinsola SP
36 OMAR Mohammed SP
• 2: SURNAME, FIRST NAME & DIVISION
1 IBRAHIM Abdulmalik PD
2 TALABI Olufemi PD
3 IBRAHIM Nasiru PD
4 TOLOFARI Ayaobu PD
5 BASSEY Iboro PD
6 MOMODU Momohsani PD
7 OKEKE Gabriel PD
8 DIBIAGWU Emmanuel PD
9 TASIEOBI Chima PD
10 ADELEYE Olurotimi PD
11 AROGUNDADE Taofeek PD
12 BALA Shamsuddeen PD
13 IJITONA Tolulope PD
14 NEHIKHARE Victor PD
15 IBOJEH Jude PD
16 MOMODU Makpeminoghena PD
17 OYEGBAMI Oludare PD
18 OTOKITI Adebayo PD
19 OVUOMARAHASU Peter PD
20 OHANYERE Ifeanyi PD
21 NNADOZIE Solomon PD
22 HALLIDAY Albert PD
23 MURAINA Abass PD
24 OLUJITAN Abayomi PD
25 ANERU Suleman PD
26 OKORIGWE London PD
27 OWABOYE Kayode PD
28 OBIKILI Ugonwanne PD
29 ENABODJE Oghenetega PD
30 AYOOLA John PD
31 AKINGBADE Oluwaseun PD
32 OJEOGWU Kenneth PD
33 ICHOKU Lorraine PD
34 ABASS Adetoro PD
35 IGBOAMAGH Chinedu PD
36 ODUSOLA Oladoyin PD
37 GRAHAM-DOUGLAS Joanne PD
38 SALAMI Abimbola PD
39 BROWN Ibim PD
40 LAWAN Yakubu PD
41 SALIHU Sulaiman PD
42 ADEKANYE Moyosore PD
43 BELLO Buhari PD
44 ABDURRAHMAN Aminu PD
45 DAUDU Mariam PD
