Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has denied having knowledge of a $6 billion contract between the federal government under his leadership between 1999 and 2007 and Sunrise Power and Transmission Ltd, VANGUARD NEWS reports.
Chief Obasanjo revealed to Nigerians that none of his ministers had the capacity to approve more than N25 million contract without his consent, therefore, the $6 billion allegedly approved by the former minister of power and steel, Olu Agunloye, in 2003 was not clear to him because he did not approve it.
This is coming after Sunrise Power dragged Nigeria to the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), Paris, France, over an alleged breach of contract by the federal government.
It was reported that the company is demanding a compensation of $2. 3 billion, claiming it had spent millions of dollars on financial and legal consultants before the contract was jettisoned.
At the same time, the company asked for a $400 million settlement being the terms of the agreement it entered with the federal government in 2020 to end the arbitration.
However, according to VANGUARD NEWS, while reacting to the situation during an interview, Chief Obasanjo said it was impossible for the then Minister to commit his administration to $6 billion without his permission.
He said, ” When I was president, no minister had the power to approve more than N25 million without express presidential consent.
” It was impossible for Agunloye to commit my government to a $6 billion project without my permission and I did not give him any permission, ” he added.
Speaking further, he revealed that he would always be ready if the government would investigate the issue, stating that he did not approve such an amount of money for the project during his administration.
” If a commission of inquiry is set up today to investigate the matter, I am ready to testify. I do not even need to testify because all the records are there. I never approved it, ” he stated.
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