Kano based multi-billionaire businessman Alhaji Aminu Dantata owes the Nigerian government the sum of $193,553,770.00 million (one hundred and ninety three million, five hundred and fifty three thousand and seventy dollars) as unpaid royalties and taxes according to an exclusive letter obtained by Saharareporters
In a letter dated August 16 2006 signed by M.D.B Ladan for the Directorate of Petroleum Resources, the businessman was asked to henceforth stop his company, Express Petroleum and Gas Company Ltd from lifting crude oil from OML 108 also known as Ukpokiti terminal.
The DPR through its letter with reference number: DPR/DS/CTO/2038/s.25/V.3/171 threatened to recover the outstanding backlog from the sale of the existing crude oil at the terminal. The correspondence also directed Shebah Exploration and Production Company Ltd, 40% owners and operators of OML 108 to evacuate the crude oil in the terminal immediately and also report to the meet with the representatives of the director of petroleum resources at the ministry of petroleum resources!
Saharareporters called Alhaji Aminu Dantata -whose business empire owns substantial part of TRANSCORP- to chat with him regarding the letter, after we got through to him consequent upon queries from a female assistant he snapped at us when we introduced ourselves as reporters. After telling us he doesn’t speak with reporters, he hung up the phone.
Our investigations reveals that since 1997, Alhaji Aminu Dantata has not paid any taxes or royalties to the government as he merely collected rent from Conoco Phillips his ‘technical partners’ who developed and “farmed” the oil block given to him by his military friends. Though he didn’t invest a dime in the oil wells he was getting paid 23% of total sales profit from the oil block. Alhaji Dantata was said to have grown greedier recently when he demanded that he be paid 60% of sales profit from the OML 108 from his new technical partners, Shebah Exploration & Production Company.
The disagreement between him and his partner led to him petitioning the EFCC to report his technical partner, Shebah Exploration and Production Company to the EFCC. The EFCC arrested and detained the chairman of ORDREC group of companies and owner of Shebah, Chief A.B.C Orjiakor for three days in their Lagos office until intervention came from Rev. Fr. Kukah who was said to have vouched for Chief Orjiakor as a “good catholic’ before he could be released. However, our sources said Chief A.B.C Orjiakor was not allowed to travel out of the country last week as the EFCC chairman requested him to hang around for further investigation concerning another matter relating to his numerous businesses.
It is not clear if the EFCC was contacted to help retrieve the back taxes and royalties from Alhaji Dantata as it had done with Chief Fasawe in recent weeks! The DPR did not send a copy of its letter to Alhaji dantata's company to the EFCC.
Detained Doyin Okupe released
In another development, the EFCC recently released former National Republican Convention chieftain and ex-president Obasanjo spokesperson, Doyin Okupe from detention. Doyin spent close to one month in EFCC detention for economic crimes relating to fraud and contracts he collected from the South Eastern state of Imo and didn't execute after he was paid hefty 'mobilization fees'. He was released last week on bail after he promised to pay back. The EFCC requires him to report back every week!
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