Minister of state for petroleum resources (oil), Heineken Lokpobiri, has said that the Nigerian government has sovereign rights over the oil prospecting licence (OPL) 245 oil block.
Lokpobiri was responding to comments by Mohammed Abacha, son of a former head of state, asking him to retract his claims of resolving the OPL 245 dispute, while the matter is still in court.
Abacha laid claim to the ownership of Malabu Oil & Gas Ltd, the company originally awarded the OPL in 1998 by Sani Abacha, his father.
However, the minister told journalists at a press briefing that all oil blocks are owned by the federal government and that the government will take all lawful measures to guarantee that Nigerians profit from the country’s oil blocks’ availability.
“I don’t want to join issues with the Abacha family, you know, for OPL 245. But as far as I know, every oil block belongs to the federal government of Nigeria. We will give licences to different people to operate,” he said.
“I don’t want to join issues with the Abacha family, but I can assure you that we are resolving all the issues with OPL 245 in accordance with overriding national strategic interest.”
Lokpobiri noted that the matter has lingered for 28 years, “And if I were a member of the Abacha family, I would not even raise my head. As Heineken Lokpobiri, I can’t give any Lokpobiri a licence. That in itself is criminal. So, if they know what they are doing, they should just keep quiet.”
The minister said Nigeria has laws just like any other country, adding that he would carry out his duties concerning the issue.
