While I commend your efforts at open source journalism and its refreshing take on the Nigerian political and economic scene, I would recommend you make efforts to fact-check your stories extensively before publishing.
While I commend your efforts at open source journalism and its refreshing take on the Nigerian political and economic scene, I would recommend you make efforts to fact-check your stories extensively before publishing.
Afren Plc is an oil company in which Rilwanu Lukman was a former chairman and founder of. His stake in the company is less than 3%. The company owns subsidiaries in various African countries of which Nigeria is one of them.
The major owners of Afren are various institutional investors and mostly banking and asset management groups that own stakes in Afren Plc ( quoted on the London Stock Exchange as AFR). The company is a British one that operates in Nigeria through its Nigerian subsidiary at Octagon House on AJ Marinho Drive in the V/I extension of Lagos.
JP Morgan Asset Management Holdings,Blackrock, HSBC and AXA also own between 5% and 10% of the company in additional to a number institutional investors of repute who own bulk shares.
Afren also owns a 40% stake in First Hydrocarbon Nigeria in which GTB and FCMB own the remaining 60%.
While Lukman might have been a founder of Afren, you have discounted two other Nigerian founders, Constantine Ogunbiyi as well as Egbert Imomoh both who own less than 3% respectively as well. Constantine is a lawyer while Imomoh is a former DMD of Shell.
AMNI International which you stated in quoted in your article as being a British company is not. The company is owned by former Kano State Governor Col Sani Bello who is also the Vice Chairman of MTN Nigeria. Professor Edozien formerly of Broad Bank also owns a stake in AMNI.
Afren is also involved with a number of companies which Nigerians from all corners of the country own. Most of them yes are unscrupulous politicians/businessmen but how else do you get to own oil blocks in Nigeria?
I understand the urge to break stories first, however you should ensure your fact checking mechanism is thorough to avoid your detractors questioning your news material.
Regards
Fidel Agbobu
googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('content1'); });
googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('comments'); });
googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('content2'); });