The attention of Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG) has been drawn to a publication in the
Vanguard Online of 10th August 2022 under the caption: “How govt officials facilitated $1.2bn crude oil, gas theft – Source.”
The report is false, malicious and deliberate as it is a rehash of fallacious claims reported in an online media channel in January 2022.
NLNG had responded to the allegations, clearly stating the facts, yet Vanguard Online published the same allegations with no prior opportunity offered to the Company to react or respond to the assertions.
The rehash in Vanguard Online is obviously
calculated to cast the Company and its leadership in bad light.
To again set the records straight, NLNG wishes to clearly state that:
• Deliveries of LNG from its Bonny Terminal complies with all regulatory requirements for the export of its products and are made under various LNG sales contracts to destinations not limited to Europe, but also to the Far East, Greater Middle East, North America and South America, thus ensuring NLNG’s position as a significant competitive global LNG supplier, promoting the Nigerian Brand.
• NLNG is a responsible corporate citizen operating its business according to
strong business principles and ethics in accordance with requirements of relevant
Nigerian and global laws and regulations.
• From the commencement of its operations in October 1999, NLNG has never,
and does not, engage in “illegal” exportation of LNG or any of its products, nor is NLNG involved in any international cartel, as alleged. It is simply not true
that “… the illegal exportation is still ongoing with the backing of some top
officials of government”. The LNG trade undertaken by the Company is bound
by strict protocols and controls, hence not amenable to the kind of illegitimate
schemes alleged in the report.
• Contrary to the allegation of export of LNG without paperwork, records exist for
every single cargo of product loaded by the Company since it commenced
operations, together with fully accurate accounts of destinations, quantities
loaded and unloaded and related earnings on each cargo, and these are
demonstrable. For each of the past financial years which are periodically
audited, including the periods alluded to in the report, the Shareholders of
NLNG, which includes NNPC and three IOCs, never reported that any cargo or
product of the Company was lost or unaccounted for. Indeed, the possibility of such happening is beyond comprehension.
For the avoidance of doubt, NLNG restates that the report paints a very incorrect
picture of the Company’s business and its LNG trade and is at complete variance
with the Company’s Vision as a globally competitive LNG Company helping to
build a better Nigeria.
NLNG demands an immediate retraction of the false and malicious report in its entirety,
in addition to an apology, which must be given as much prominence as the original
report. The legal rights of NLNG and its impacted personnel are fully reserved.
Andy Odeh
General Manager, External Relations and Sustainable Development
