Sahara Energy Resource dissociates itself from alleged sharing of $1bn oil bloc proceeds

Sahara Energy Resource Limited (SERL), a member of the Sahara Group, has dismissed as unfounded allegations of corruption linking it to the late Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, Mallam Abba Kyari.

The organization was reacting to an online publication on July 15, 2020 with the screaming headline: “How Late Abba Kyari Illegally Shared $200 million From $1.099 billion Oil Bloc Money To Sahara Energy.”

The company, in a statement, stated that the said report makes unfounded allegations and cites apparent falsehoods from unnamed sources in what can only be best described as a sponsored smear campaign.

The report cites several false statements including a statement to the effect that an executive director of SERL- Mr. Tope Shonubi has an amount of approximately $400 million kept in trust for late Kyari.

The report also falsely reports a statement that “…in May 2016, officials of the EFCC raided the Lagos and Abuja offices of Sahara Energy carting away several computers and documentary evidence of the deals, according to Pointblanknews.com sources at the anti-graft agency”.

“For the avoidance of doubt, we would like to state for the record that the allegations in the report are baseless, unfounded and a deliberate attempt to mislead the public. SERL categorically denies any illegal alliance with Mr. Mamman Daura or the Late Mr. Abba Kyari or indeed any other political appointees as alleged and the above listed individuals do not have, have never had and have never been promised any inducements or interests whatsoever by or in SERL or any of its affiliates.

“It is on record that SERL, a Sahara Group company, is one of the foremost indigenous operators in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector with a sterling pedigree spanning over two decades with demonstrable and impeccable governance, integrity, service excellence and good corporate citizenship.

“It is important to note that this recent publication is not the first of its kind by way of smear campaigns against SERL by this online portal. SERL, had, in the past, instituted legal action against the portal and its owners and secured judgment against it for publishing false and defamatory information about the company.

“For the benefit of our stakeholders and other counterparts across the globe, we have a duty to set the record straight in view of the aforestated false and misleading report and subsequently by other online publications. We thus urge members of the public to disregard the report in its entirety.

“Sahara Group continuously promotes transparency in business, working and supporting global stakeholders including the United Nations Private Sector Advisory Group and the World Economic Forum Partnering Against Corruption Initiative (PACI).

“We remain committed to the principles of good governance, best practice and service excellence that have successfully driven the Sahara Brand in the last two decades – across its locations in Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.”