Enugu State Lawyers For Good Governance, has thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for harkening to their request not to dignify the Pinnacle Oil unveiling of offshore terminal with his presence.
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The commissioning of Pinnacle Oil Tank Farm at Lekki Free Zone Terminal took place on Saturday October 22, 2022, with President Buhari conspicuously absent, but only presented a terse statement through zoom to the audience.
The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Barr Peter Mbah, a former Commissioner for Finance and former Chief of Staff to former Enugu state Governor, Chimaroke Nnamani, is the owner of Pinnacle Oil.
Recall that the private legal practitioners and indigenes of Enugu state in a petition published as advertorial in some national dailies and dated 19th October, 2022, had asked President Buhari to stay off the event.
The group had alleged a deceitful plan of the promoters of the company to use the name and presence of the president to confer false legitimacy to the sordid event and thereby gain undue political advantage thereof.
The concerned lawyers in the petition informed President Buhari that the Pinnacle Oil Tank Farm at Lekki Free Zone Terminal, was allegedly built from from resources of Enugu state and that the promoters of the firm are still facing corruption charges over the matter.
In a release to journalists in Enugu on Sunday, and signed by the convener, F. N. Ezea Esq., the concerned lawyers said, "We want to thank President Muhmmadu Buhari for honouring our request not to attend the unveiling of Pinnacle Oil.
"Even though it has been claimed that it is a strategic project being funded by CBN and various groups, but the fact is that Pinnacle Oil's capital is funds stolen from Enugu state between 1999 to 2007.
"There are cases involving the frittering of Enugu's resources by the major promoter of the company, Peter Mbah and his political boss Sen Chimaroke Nnamani. The cases are still subsisting in courts, and they have not been discharged nor acquitted.
"Pinnacle Oil was not in existence before Peter Mbah became Commissioner for Finance and Chief of Staff to former governor Nnamani, it came into existence while he was still serving in Enugu and the company became a player immediately he left office and when EFCC started looking for N5.6 billion Enugu state funds.
"We believe as many other do, that N5.6 billion is even small money to what was looted from Enugu state between 1999 to 2007".
The group noted that despite the hype that President Buhari was going to personally perform the ceremony and cut the tape, and notwithstanding the intense lobby for that, "Mr. president cautiously sent the NNPC Group Managing Director, Mele Kyari to the event.".
According to them "He couldn't even send a cabinet level official like Timipre Sylver, Minister for State Petroleum. He also chose to present his brief address via zoom. This was a wise compromise between full endorsement of corruption and giving a little to the hawks who had lobbied for his physical presence.
"The president was indeed wise. He was aware of the political revolution sweeping across the country the new electoral law he had signed is consolidating, unfolding on a twin pod of ethical and social regeneration. He was also aware it is driven by the young people of the country who have suddenly waken up to realize they no longer have a nation, no thanks to endemic corruption, especially in high places. This they are now determined to change for good and the president had to tell them he was with them, that indeed things had to change.
"And, it wasn’t Buhari alone that stayed away. For an event of such magnitude to record the attendance of no dignitary of note, not even close industry players, beyond the host governor of Lagos, the Emir of Bichi aside the usual Enugu political and government crowd, evidenced an understandable apathy from decent Nigerians.
"For one, it is no secret within the nation’s oil and gas sector and business circles how the company was founded. They know it is standing on a very weak moral foundation of monumental corruption and sleaze; that the principal promoter is a primary figure in many cases of humongous theft when he served his state as finance commissioner".
Aside from the concerned Enugu lawyers, other citizens of the state had wondered how "Peter Mbah that graduated in 2000 as they said and was called to Bar in 2001/2002, become a commissioner in 2003; so he was a billionaire in school?"
Meanwhile, in the earlier petition to President Buhari, the Enugu lawyers had also alleged that on Wednesday, the 18th day of April, 2012, the House of Representatives of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in Resolution No. (HR.ll20l2) indicated Pinnacle Oil and Gas and Peter Mbah, the promoter of the company, who is currently the gubernatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Enugu state, for fraud arising from fraudulent receipt of oil subsidy payments.
The concerned lawyers stated that on 24th July, 2012,the Presidential Committee on verification and reconciliation of Fuel Subsidy payments chaired by Mr. Aigboje Aig -Imoukhuede (Managing Director/C.E.O of Access Bank Plc) also indicated Pinnacle Oil and Gas and Peter Mbah for fraudulently obtaining payments from the Petroleum Supports Fund.
In addition, the petition, signed by F. N. Ezea Eaq., alleged that on 19th July 2012, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission filed Charge No. ID/lI7c/2012: FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA V. PINNACLE OIL & GAS, Peter Mbah And 2 Others at the Registry of the High Court of Lagos State, Ikeja Judicial Division for conspiracy to commit advance fee fraud and fraud of #986,154,970.41 from the Petroleum Support Fund of the Federal Government of Nigeria.
They claimed that the said-Charge No. ID/117c/2012 is still pending at the Ikeja Division to date and has been allegedly stalled by Pinnacle Oil and Gas Limited and Peter Mbah.
