Heineken Lokpobiri, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, has issued a warning to the family of former Head of State Sani Abacha regarding the OPL 245 oil block. He emphasized that Nigeria holds sovereign rights over the oil prospecting license>>>CONTINUE FULL READING HERE....CONTINUE READING THE ARTICLE FROM THE SOURCE
On July 3, Lokpobiri announced that the federal government had resolved all outstanding issues concerning OPL 245. However, Mohammed Abacha, son of Sani Abacha, called for the minister to retract his statements, asserting that the matter is still in court.
Mohammed Abacha claims ownership of Malabu Oil & Gas Ltd, the company initially awarded the block in 1998 during his father’s regime.
At a press briefing, Lokpobiri reiterated that the federal government would take all necessary legal actions to ensure Nigerians benefit from the nation’s oil blocks, asserting that all oil blocks are federal assets.
He stated, “I have no interest in engaging in disputes with the Abacha family over OPL 245. Every oil block belongs to the federal government of Nigeria, and we will license various operators.”
He further noted that oil blocks are national assets, and the government is committed to acting in the country’s best strategic interests. Lokpobiri added that the OPL 245 issue has persisted for 28 years and advised the Abacha family to refrain from raising further claims.
“If I were a member of the Abacha family, I would not even raise my head. I cannot grant any license personally, as that would be a criminal act. If they know what they are doing, they should keep quiet,” he concluded.
Lokpobiri affirmed that Nigeria has established laws and he would uphold his responsibilities regarding this matter.>>>CONTINUE FULL READING HERE
