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Praises, knocks for outgoing CJN Ariwoola

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Praises, knocks for outgoing CJN Ariwoola

Legal practitioners reflect on the tenure of the outgoing Chief Justice of Nigeria, Olukayode Ariwoola, who is set to retire on August 22, 2024, writes ONOZURE DANIA

On August 22, 2024, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Olukayode Ariwoola, will retire on his 70th birthday, marking the end of his tenure.

By convention, he will be succeeded in an acting capacity by Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, the most senior Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria. The National Judicial Council will then recommend a substantive CJN to the President, who will then nominate the recommended candidate to the Senate for confirmation.

Justice Ariwoola began his educational journey in the Iseyin Local Government of Oyo State. He graduated from the then University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), with a Bachelor’s degree in law in July 1980.

Justice Ariwoola was called to the Nigerian bar in July 1981. His early career saw him working as a Counsel in-Chambers of Chief Ladosu Ladapo (SAN) before establishing his law firm in Oyo town. In November 1992, he was appointed a Judge of the Oyo State Judiciary, marking the start of his judicial career.

Ariwoola was elevated to the Court of Appeal in November 2005 and subsequently to the Supreme Court of Nigeria in November 2011. His appointment as CJN came on September 21, 2022, following the resignation of his predecessor, Justice Tanko Muhammad.

Speaking on Ariwoola’s tenure, Prof. Edoba Omoregie (SAN) commended his ability to stabilise the judiciary during a period of low morale. Omoregie spoke of Ariwwola’s glorious career as a jurist, adding that his appointment as CJN about two years ago came at a time of low morale in the judiciary, including the Supreme Court bench.

“There were many embarrassing episodes involving the judiciary prior to his assumption of office as CJN. Justice Ariwoola appears to have ably dealt with the issues, especially those which had caused anxiety among stakeholders in the justice sector,” Omoregie said.

He highlighted the Supreme Court’s landmark judgments under Ariwoola, such as the handling of the naira redesign policy and endorsement of financial autonomy for local governments, as significant achievements.

“I daresay that the deft management of those issues by His Lordship ensured that fizzled out of the public glare. Worthy of mention is that during the last two years, the Supreme Court under Justice Ariwoola rose to the occasion in the exercise of its policy jurisdiction.

“The court’s handling of the naira redesign dispute, and its recent decision endorsing the financial autonomy of local government councils in the management of fiscal transfers from the Federation Account, has marked a watershed in the constitutional system of this country,” he said.

Also commending Ariwoola’s tenure is Prof. Damilola  Olawuyi, (SAN), who acknowledged improvements in judicial camaraderie and efficiency.

Olawuyi stated, “The swearing-in of 11 new justices of the Supreme Court is a commendable achievement that finally enabled the court to attain its full complement of 21 justices after many years of inexplicable delays.

“We have also seen other appointments across the judiciary without the usual delays of the past.”

Notwithstanding the successes recorded during Ariwoola’s tenure, Olawuyi however stated that the proliferation of conflicting judgments by courts, especially over the last months in Rivers, Kano and Plateau states, have severely damaged the reputation of the judiciary, and will require time and concerted efforts to repair.

Olawuyi also mentioned that there have been heightened public concerns about potential conflicts of interest and nepotism in judicial appointments, stating that some of those concerns emanated from the lack of transparent and clear communication on the measures taken by the NJC to address such potential conflicts of interest. He advised that the remaining challenges must be tackled head-on by the incoming CJN in order to improve the transparency and reputation of the judiciary.

As for Prof. Sam Erugo (SAN), Ariwoola “brought some measure of stability in the system. Except for the perennial issue of the opaque process of appointment of judicial officers for which he cannot be singled out for blame, his tenure has seen much less controversy.”

Erugo went on to say, “Much of other criticisms stem from public misconceptions of the judiciary. We must admit that his tenure has witnessed tremendous improvement in the judiciary, including the record appointment of a full complement of Justices of the Supreme Court and the improved welfare of judicial officers. Probably, he was lucky to serve partly under an administration that found an opportunity to impress where its predecessor failed by taking action in critical areas for the judicial arm.

“He is definitely leaving the judiciary much better than he met it and without controversy. I congratulate him on his achievements and wish him well in retirement.”

On his part, Dr Joseph Nwobike (SAN) emphasised Ariwoola’s commitment to upholding judicial integrity, stating that his tenure “ensured that vacancies in the various levels of the Judiciary are filled with despatch and generally improved on the welfare of judicial officers.”

Another Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Wahab Shittu, added that the CJN’s tenure has been marked by a commitment to integrity, fairness, and justice, which has earned him admiration and respect within and beyond the legal community.

“Justice Ariwoola’s tenure saw significant judicial reforms and efforts to combat corruption. His administration was notable for its role in overseeing the most keenly contested election since Nigeria’s return to democratic governance in 1999,” Shittu noted, stating that “during his tenure, there were remarkable efforts in the fight against corruption, particularly in the public sector.”

However, Shittu said, “Critics argue that there still exist different levels of administrative incompetence and poor adroitness in the judiciary.” They also point out that efforts to protect the judiciary from political influence, particularly from the executive branch, were insufficient.”

The SAN also pointed out that the judiciary struggled with internal issues despite Ariwoola’s efforts to address corruption and financial crimes.

“People may argue that these efforts were barely significant or noticeable as corruption is still very much rampant and even prevalent in the judiciary itself,” Shittu said.

In his final legal year speech in November 2023, Ariwoola highlighted the judiciary’s achievements under his leadership.

“The ICPC was able to successfully secure 10 convictions, while the EFCC secured 1,094 convictions within the same period,” Ariwoola said.

The CJN also stated that the Supreme Court presided over 1,271 cases, comprising motions and appeals, and delivered a total of 251 judgments between September 2022 and July 2023. “We heard 388 political appeals, 215 criminal appeals, and 464 civil appeals,” Ariwoola noted, emphasising the significant workload handled by the Supreme Court.

But Prof. Gbenga Bamodu criticised the early part of Ariwwola’s term for its perceived fraternisation with the Executive branch.

Bamodu stated, “Early on, he could have done better to demonstrate more clearly the independence of the judiciary, and its separateness from other arms of government. Rather, the early part of his assumption of office evinced a fraternisation with the Executive and the political class in a manner that was not particularly healthy.”

Speaking of Ariwoola’s contribution, Bamodu said, “At least, latterly he sought to address the issue of conflicting injunctions from courts of co-ordinate jurisdictions, though even that has not been properly resolved.”

However, Prof. Chidi Odinkalu differed in his assessment of Awriwoola’s tenure, labelling his legacy as “diabolical,” and asserting that he “compiled almost assuredly the most dreadful and toxic legacy of any previous occupant of that position.”

Similarly, Joseph Otteh, a lawyer, said, “The tenure of Nigeria’s outgoing CJN would be regarded by many as probably the darkest period of Nigeria’s judiciary, and the lowest it has ever plumbed in terms of its public image.”

Stating that the “judiciary was at a very low point when the CJN came into the office,” Otteh said “Ariwoola was also part of the Supreme Court conclave that demonstrated against his predecessor, Tanko Muhammad, accusing him of lacking leadership, unresponsiveness, nepotism and maladministration in overseeing the business and welfare of the Supreme Court and its Justices.

“You would expect a CJN who came into office under these circumstances to move heaven and earth to restore the stature of Nigeria’s judiciary, and redeem, as much as possible, the image of Nigeria’s judiciary, which had been bumping along the bottom for so many years. Unfortunately, this has not been so.

“With all respect to His Lordship, he plunged the judiciary into a more withering, more desperate crisis of public confidence, and in the eyes of many, he will be leaving the judiciary much weaker, fractured, nepotistic, politicised and with far less esteem in the eyes of the public.”

Otteh further stated, “The incoming CJN faces the formidable task of rebuilding trust and ensuring that the judiciary operates with integrity, fairness, and accountability. The future of Nigeria’s legal system depends on a decisive shift in leadership and vision, one that will restore faith in the rule of law and justice for all.”

Motorists groan over Asaba-Onitsha expressway gridlock, demand highway repairs

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Motorists groan over Asaba-Onitsha expressway gridlock, demand highway repairs

Motorists plying the Asaba-Onitsha Expressway have been groaning over the deplorable condition of the ever-busy highway, especially at the Asaba axis.

For over a month, there had been gridlock on the highway, especially at the Asaba axis due to the failed portions of the road.

When South-South According visited the area on Tuesday, it observed a stretch of gridlock, which occurs daily, frustrating travellers and hindering them from arriving at their destination earlier than planned.

Several portions of the road has become dilapidated to the extent that travellers are held up at different locations for hours in the owing to the  gridlock.

The failed portions include Bonsac by Ezenei junction, Okwe General Hospital by Abraka junction, and Summit area, among others.

Most of the drivers, especially travellers from Abuja, Lagos and Benin were stranded while trying to navigate through inside town to en route Onitsha, but still got trapped before Asaba toll gate due to the failed portions.

Narrating his ordeal, a commercial driver, simply identified as Agu, told our correspondent that he was trapped in the gridlock for over five hours before he could navigate his way out of the failed sections of the road.

He said, “This traffic gridlock started as earlier as 6am till night every day, in most cases, you come out the next morning, the traffic is still there. Some will spend two day before getting to Onitsha.”

Agu appealed to relevant government authorities to rehabilitate the failed portions of the road to “save travellers along this corridor from undue hardship.”

When contacted, the Federal Controller of Works, Delta State, Mr Ogar, said that the entire stretch of the road is under contract.

He said, “We are aware of the plight of the motorists, the entire stretch of that road is on contract, but the contractor started work at the boundary between Delta and Edo states.

“I have drawn the contractor’s attention to the portions, very soon, we will start fixing the failed spots in Asaba, especially, the Summit area, Ezenei and the Abraka area.

“As I speak to you now, I’m in Abakiliki for National Council of Works meeting; when I come back I will mount pressure on the contractor to move to the failed areas.”

FERMA begins rehabilitation of failed roads in Rivers

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FERMA begins rehabilitation of failed roads in Rivers

The Federal Roads Maintenance Agency has expressed its dedication to the systematic recovery of failed sections of federal roads in Rivers State.

The engineer in charge of FERMA’s Rivers State Field Office, Engr. Adoga Asikhia stated during the inspection of the ongoing road maintenance project of the new airport link road in Obio/Akpor and Ikwerre local government areas of the state on Tuesday.

Asikhia said, “Our major focus is the systematic recovery of the roads by patching the potholes and reinstating failed sections. Later on, we’ll embark on pavement strengthening of the roads, vegetation control and desilting of carriageways and shoulders.”

He added the agency aims to sustain the project which started last year to ensure that the road is always in good condition while cautioning motorists to shun bad driving habits and adhere to safety rules to avoid accidents.

He added, “This is definitely a continuous process. We started this thing last year. So the agency is truly working to ensure that the road, this particular road, at all times is in good riding condition for motorists.

“We want to advise motorists that the speed limit which the road safety has encouraged everybody to use, should be maintained, because this is not a major highway, that the speed should be cut down. Just this morning, an accident and a car overturned because of high speed and we have lots of bends around here.

“So we’re hoping that the motorists will exercise caution in seeing that whenever they are using the road, they ensure that their speed limit goes according to what is prescribed on the roads.”

On funding, he acknowledged that while funding remains a general problem in the county, the agency is doing well as the management ensures that funds are made available to the field office to carry out the maintenance.

Asikhia, however, decried the drainage on the road which he described as inadequate and one of the causes of road failures and major challenge affecting the project.

He added, “The poor drainage condition of the road has affected the road. The way the road is designed, there was no provision for drainages, so water does not find easy access, so the water now ponds on the roads, thereby resulting in the failure of the roads.”

He called on the state government to pay attention to the drainage situation saying, “We pray that the state will look into going into drainage facilities, providing drainage infrastructures on this road, because it’s going to be an extensive work.

“I don’t really know why no drainage was provided in the first place. Not that there are no drainages, it’s just that it is not properly done to adequately cater to the flow of water on the road. There are drainages, but it’s inadequate to cater for the road.”

The FERMA project in the state covers Port Harcourt-Isiokpo-Elele-Omerelu-Imo State border road and the Airport link road.

Sterling Bank, Lagos partner on ‘Ilera Eko’ health initiative

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Sterling Bank, Lagos partner on ‘Ilera Eko’ health initiative

Sterling Bank Limited has partnered with the Lagos State Government through the Lagos State Health Management Agency to launch the Ilera Eko healthcare booths.

A statement from the bank on Wednesday said the initiative was launched by the Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

At the launch, which was held on Tuesday, Sanwo-Olu said, “Today signifies a major leap in our efforts to make healthcare both accessible and affordable. The Ilera Eko booths symbolise our dedication to bringing vital services closer to our people. This partnership with Sterling Bank showcases the power of public-private collaborations in driving transformative community changes. We envision a future where no Lagosian is deprived of basic healthcare.”

The Ilera Eko booths are designed to provide basic medical care, and telemedicine services, enroll residents in the LASHMA insurance scheme and serve as agency banks, enabling residents to carry out daily transactions and essential banking services.

The Chief Executive Officer of Sterling Bank, Abubakar Suleiman, represented by the bank’s Head of Government Fulfilment, Adewale Adebowale, expressed the bank’s continued commitment to its HEART strategy, which has seen the bank make extensive investments in the health, education, agriculture, renewable energy, and transportation sectors across states nationwide.

Suleiman said, “Our HEART strategy is central to our mission, focusing on health, education, agriculture, renewable energy, and transportation. The Ilera Eko booths embody our commitment to uplifting communities by integrating health and financial services. By making healthcare more accessible and affordable, we aim to enhance the quality of life for all Lagosians.”

The Permanent Secretary of LASHMA, Dr Emmanuela Zamba, stated that the first of five booths were currently operational across Lagos and located in Yaba, Epe, Ketu, and Ikorodu.

Zamba said that plans were at advanced stages to roll out 300 booths across the state for increased

Why Edo activist’s son killed father with sledgehammer – Police

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Why Edo activist’s son killed father with sledgehammer – Police

The Edo State Police Command on Wednesday said Arthur Angel Jr., the 17-year-old son of the 70-year-old deceased human rights activist, Arthur Judah Angel, killed his father with a sledgehammer over monetary demand at Ugboha, in Esan South East Local Government Area of the state.

The anti-death penalty advocate, Angel, was killed and buried in a shallow grave behind his house, on Sunday, According Metro gathered.

The spokesman for the command, Chidi Nwabuzor, told our correspondent on Wednesday that a preliminary investigation revealed that the deceased’s son had threatened to kill his father and carried it out when he hit him with a sledgehammer.

The PPRO said, “On July 15, 2024, at about 09.00 hours, the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Ugboha Division in Edo State received a complaint that one Arthur Angel Jr. (17 years old) brought a complaint of a shallow grave discovery at the backyard of the compound where he lived with the deceased.

“Immediately, the DPO mobilised his men and they moved out to the scene. On getting there, they saw a shallow grave and decided to exhume the body. When the body was exhumed, they discovered that it was the lifeless body of Arthur Angel, 70, and at a closer look, they saw a sharp injury on the back of the deceased’s head. The body was taken to the Uromi Hospital mortuary.

“According to the DPO, a preliminary investigation revealed that Arthur Angel Jr. had on several occasions threatened to kill his father because his father was expecting some money from Amnesty International.”

He noted that the suspect had a feeling that the money had been paid to the deceased and decided to use the sledgehammer to hit him behind the head while he was asleep.

“As we speak, the suspect has been successfully transferred from Ugboha to the homicide section of the Edo State Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation”, he said.

According Metro gathered that having been sentenced to death in 1986 for a crime he said he did not commit and was on death row for nine years, Angel, who was also a human rights defender, used his foundation, Life Wire International Foundation, to fight for the use of death penalty in the country.

He was said to have travelled to over 15 countries to speak out against the death penalty through his art exhibitions and drawings.

When our correspondent contacted Angel’s cousin, Michael Ihaza, on Tuesday, he confirmed the assassination of his uncle.

He said, “I cannot tell if he had any problem with anyone. He won several cases over family land but I don’t know if that brought issues between him and anyone.

“He never reported any threat to his life to me. However, his 15-year-old son who reported the case to the police in Ugboha has been taken into custody for questioning but I don’t think he has a hand in his father’s death.

“His son was arrested the same day he was killed. The narrative that is making the rounds within the police circle and in town is that the boy is also a suspect.

“My late uncle fought for humanity in his lifetime. He worked on prison reform and was a gentleman. I never heard that he had any problem with anyone. The police said they are investigating the matter so we don’t want to say anything that will jeopardise the investigation. Hopefully, the culprit will be identified and brought to justice,” he added.

Court remands man over alleged assault

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Hotel manager remanded for alleged N.3m theft

Thirty-year-old Adebayo Samson was on Wednesday arraigned by the Lagos State Police Command for alleged assault and theft.

He was arraigned at the Chief Magistrate Court, Yaba, before Magistrate O.Y. Adefope. The defendant was charged with two counts of assault and theft.

The charges alleged that the defendant, on July 13, 2024, allegedly assaulted one Uchenna Anita by beating her with a fist blow and also stole her purse, containing a Keystone Bank card, one Tecno POP 3 phone worth N40,000, and the sum of N5,000.

According Metro gathered that Uchenna has a child with Adebayo, and they live together, but the defendant is known for always assaulting the complainant.

On July 13, 2024, during a heated argument, Adebayo allegedly attacked Uchenna Anita. In the process of trying to grab her purse, he assaulted her by beating her with a fist and wounded her. He eventually escaped with her purse, which contained a Keystone Bank card, one Tecno POP 3 phone worth N40,000, and the sum of N5,000, and also hurt the baby on her forehead.

The case was reported to the Bariga Police Station, and he was arrested. The purse containing the stolen items was found in his possession and was recovered and given to the complainant.

He was questioned at the police station and confessed to assaulting the complainant. Our correspondent gathered that that was not the first time Adebayo would be assaulting the defendant.

Prosecutor Haruna Magaji informed the court that the alleged offence was committed on July 13, 2024, contravening Sections 172 and 287 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State 2015.

The prosecutor also said that the wound, the complainant’s statement, the recovered items, and statements from the investigating officer serve as evidence that the alleged offences were committed.

The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charges alleged against him.

Adefope ordered that the bail sum of N200,000 be paid and two sureties, who are residents of Lagos State, be provided.

She further ordered that the defendant be remanded until he had perfected his bail terms.

The case was adjourned to August 7, 2024.

End discrimination against PWDs, govt urges citizens

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End discrimination against PWDs, govt urges citizens

The Lagos State Government has urged citizens to support people with sisabilities and end discrimination against them.

The General Manager of the Lagos State Office for Disability Affairs, Adenike Oyetunde-Lawal, stated this on Wednesday during the 2024 Ability Expo: Showcasing Creativity event held at Ikeja.

Oyetunde-Lawal explained that the initiative was organised for PWDs to showcase their inherent skills and abilities through various works of art, vocations, trades, and also participate in various competitions.

She said, “I urge society to support persons with disabilities. Their creativity and potential are boundless when given the opportunity.

“Let us end discrimination and instead create an enabling environment that recognises their talents and contributions. You will agree with me that many PWDs excel in their fields despite their challenges.

“Recently, the agency supported 100 PWDs with N100,000 each to cushion the effects of economic hardship.”

Also speaking at the event, a retired Director at LASODA, Akintunde Oguntoye, urged the government to assist PWDs to establish business through loans and other means of financial support.

“Improve yourself by attending more workshops and seminars in order to attain more knowledge to scale up your business and let us try to encourage others to acquire a skill of their choice and discourage the art of begging on the streets,” he added.

In March, the Federal Government said it was determined to stand by the people with disabilities and protect their rights against discrimination, stigmatisation and marginalisation.

This was disclosed by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Special Needs and Equal Opportunities, Mohammed Isa, at the inauguration of the Leprosy Mission of Nigeria Wellness Connect in Abuja.

LASG partners FG to tackle child malnutrition

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Lagos partners FG to tackle malnutrition among women, children

The Lagos State Government, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, has trained no fewer than 60 frontline health workers on maternal, infant, and young child nutrition to reduce the burden of malnutrition in the state and the country in general.

The state government expressed optimism that the training of the health workers with support from the World Bank through its Accelerating Nutrition Results in Nigeria Project, would check high infant deaths linked to malnutrition in the country.

Nigeria is ranked number one in Africa and second in the world in terms of malnourished children, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund.

UNICEF also stated that 12 million out of the 35 million under-five children in Nigeria are stunted due to malnutrition.

Left untreated, experts say children with severe acute malnutrition are nearly 12 times more likely to die than a healthy child.

Speaking at the ongoing training of the health workers in Lagos, the Director and Head of the Nutrition Department, Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Ladidi Bako-Aiyegbusi, said the nutrition workshop was more of a preventive approach and not treatment.

The workshop was organised by the Federal Government under the Federal Ministry of Health, Nutrition Department and supported by the World Bank ANRIN project.

Bako-Aiyegbusi, who was represented by a senior medical officer of the ministry, Maria Odey, identified malnutrition as a major contributor to an alarming number of infant mortality in the country.

Odey said, “This training is specifically for nutrition. It is complementary to some treatment courses like the integrated management of childhood illnesses and the integrated management of acute malnutrition.

“It talks more about nutrition because we know that malnutrition is contributing to over 50 per cent of infant mortality.

“So, it is more of a preventive course training and not treatment. It is to encourage mothers and caregivers to use commonly available rich foods to prepare meals for children and promote breastfeeding. We have 60 health workers for the training.”

The Director of Family Health and Nutrition, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Folashade Oludara, said stunted growth if not reversed by the age of two years could cause irreversible brain damage to the child.

Oludara explained that once the brain of a child was damaged, there was little or nothing anybody could do anymore.

She said, “So we are trying to change this narrative and ensure that none of our children (before they clock the age of two) has malnutrition and do not get stunted to the level that their brain will be irreversibly damaged.

“The objective of the training is to improve Nigeria’s nutritional indices in the state just as we know that right now, there’s food insecurity everywhere and the major group of the community affected are the mothers and children.

“Mothers especially when they are pregnant and children especially when they are under the age of five. So what we are doing today is to intensify the efforts, to improve the efforts of our health workers in providing correct information to the caregivers or pregnant women on the type of nutrition, food or diet that they are supposed to take.”

Illicit financial outflows cost Nigeria, others $50bn annually – Shippers’ Council

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Illicit financial outflows cost Nigeria, others $50bn annually – Shippers’ Council

Nigeria and other African nations are losing $50 billion a year to illegal financial outflows, according to the Nigerian Shippers’ Council.

The Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of the NSC, Pius Akutah, stated this in Lagos recently during a debate competition organised by some members of the National Youth Service Corps in collaboration with industrial trainees of the council.

The event was themed “Effective whistleblowers protection mechanism: A critical tool in the fight against corruption’.

 Akutah, represented by the Director of Human Resources at the NSC, Mrs Ada Okam, explained that illicit financial outflows negatively impact the quality of life in Africa.

He reiterated that every effort at lifting Africans out of poverty and the provision of basic services to Africans had been retarded.

“From research, it is noted that Africa loses more than $50bn annually through illicit financial outflow,” the NSC boss stated.

According to Akutah, illicit financial outflows make it difficult for Africa to grow as a continent and achieve the African agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals.

He added that corruption was a phenomenon that had been affecting the generality of humanity.

He said that corruption has no gender and that “its effect is negatively permeative and all-encompassing, touching on every facet of human society, as it retards national advancement, stability and prosperity.”

“It is on this premise that the African Union has set aside July 11 every year as a day to remind everyone of the menace of corruption. This is according to the United Nations’ campaign to ensure a reduction in corruption and the promotion of transparency,” he stated.

 Akutah stressed the need for the continent to start engaging young ones in discussing issues of national, continental and global interests, adding that they are an integral part of society.

He added that the theme of the competition helped to reflect on the importance of the whistleblower and the need for protection.

According to Akutah, it is an advocacy for effective coordination between investigative, prosecution and judicial systems to ensure the protection of the whistleblower and an effective whistleblowing mechanism as a tool for combatting corruption in society.

 “Recognising whistleblowing as a critical element for combatting corruption, there are institutions, laws and policies put in place at the national, regional and global levels to protect the whistleblower,” he explained.

He disclosed that the council had a policy to protect the whistleblower as provided in the NSC Code of Conduct.

“The NSC Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit is also responsible for the protection of whistleblowers in the council,” he said.

He maintained that through the efforts of the whistleblowers in the country, there had been recoveries of billions of naira, which had been plunged into the development of critical infrastructure.

Chappal Energies acquires Total E&P 10% stake in SPDC

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Chappal Energies acquires Total E&P 10% stake in SPDC

Chappal Energies has entered into a Sale and Purchase Agreement to acquire TotalEnergies Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited’s 10 per cent non-operated interest in its onshore and shallow water assets within the Shell Petroleum Development Company Joint Venture in the Niger Delta.

The According learnt that the transaction is expected to close by December 31, 2024.

The acquisition includes a 10 per cent interest in 15 Oil Mining Leases and two main export terminals in Nigeria, specifically the Forcados and Bonny Terminals that are part of the Shell Petroleum Development Company Joint Venture.

In the joint venture, Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited holds a 55 per cent stake, Shell operates a 30 per cent stake, and Nigerian Agip Oil Company has a five per cent stake.

According to a statement by the company, the transaction will also see Chappal Energies acquire a 10 per cent participating interest in the three other OMLs within the SPDC JV, which are mainly gas-producing, specifically OML 23, OML 28 and OML 77.

It added that TotalEnergies would retain an economic interest in those licences, which currently account for 40 per cent of Nigeria’s liquefied natural gas supply.

“Chappal Energies will have rights to the standalone undeveloped oil reserves within these three OMLs,” the statement read.

The aggregate consideration for the transaction was said to be $860m.

“Financing will be provided by a TotalEnergies company entity and/or any financial institution selected by TotalEnergies, Trafigura and a syndicate of international banks.

“This strategic acquisition increases Chappal Energies’ asset base and adds significant reserves to the company’s balance sheet. The portfolio includes over 40 producing fields with a network of pipelines, flow stations, processing facilities and two major terminals,” the company noted.

The Managing Director of Chappal Energies, Ufoma Immanuel, said, “This acquisition marks a significant expansion in the Niger Delta, thereby diversifying our Nigeria footprint between the offshore and onshore basins.”

Immanuel added that the transaction was poised to bring substantial benefits to stakeholders, including shareholders, employees, local communities, and the national economy.

“The closing is subject to certain conditions, including all regulatory and contractual approvals,” he added.

The According recalls that Shell announced in January that it had reached an agreement to sell its Nigerian onshore subsidiary, the SPDC, to Renaissance, a consortium of five companies comprising four exploration and production companies based in Nigeria and an international energy group.

Total Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited has a 10 per cent stake in the SPDC.

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