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| Mr. Femi Otedola |
The battle between Chairman, Zenon Petroleum and Gas
Company, Mr. Femi Otedola, and the House of Representatives following the probe
of the management of fuel subsidy scheme has now shifted to the court.
Otedola, in a suit filed at an Abuja High Court, is seeking
N250 billion in damages from House Speaker, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, and suspended
Chairman of the House Ad hoc Committee on the Monitoring of Subsidy Regime,
Hon. Farouk Lawan.
Otedola had earlier accused Lawan of demanding $3 million
from him to remove Zenon Oil from the list of oil marketers indicted for buying
foreign exchange from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) without importing fuel.
Lawan had collected $500,000 and the ad hoc committee Secretary,
Mr. Boniface Emenalo, $120,000, totalling $620,000 in part payments, in what
Otedola said was a sting operation to expose Lawan.
The dispute between the duo had led to the House and the
police probing the allegations and counter-allegations between Otedola and
Lawan.
However, the oil magnate, in the suit filed by his lawyer,
Chief Babajide Koku (SAN), is asking the court to order Tambuwal and Lawan to
pay him N250 billion as compensation for business losses he suffered by the
action of the two defendants.
In the case he jointly filed along with his Zenon Petroleum
and Gas Company, Otedola is claiming N100 billion as general damages for acts
of intimidation, loss of goodwill and patronages occasioned by the acts of the
speaker and Lawan.
He is also claiming another N150 billion against the
defendants as exemplary damages for their alleged oppressive and arbitrary
actions against him and his company.
He is also challenging the alleged moves by Lawan and
Tambuwal to put back the name of his company on the list of oil firms indicted
for allegedly defrauding the Federal Government through the fuel subsidy
scheme.
In a 28-point statement of claim, Otedola averred that by
the resolution of January 8, 2012, the House set up an ad hoc committee to
verify and determine the actual subsidy amount made to oil companies and to
monitor the implementation of the subsidy in the country.
He claimed that Lawan later contacted and informed him that
his company was going to be indicted for purchasing foreign exchange from the
CBN without importing fuel.
He averred that despite his explanations, Lawan demanded $3
million bribe to remove Zenon Oil from the list of indicted oil marketers.
He contended that Lawan resorted to persistent phone calls
threatening him that his company would be included on the list of indicted oil
importers and that the image and reputation of Zenon Oil would be damaged
unless he paid the $3 million.
Faced with the unrelenting barrage of intimidating phone
calls, the plaintiff claimed that he became distressed and reported the
unlawful demands to security agencies.
He averred that he was advised by security agents to play
along by giving marked money to Lawan with a view to gathering evidence for the
nefarious activities.
Otedola alleged that the situation got to a peak on April 18
when the fuel subsidy probe report was submitted and it indicted Zenon Oil.
He claimed further that Lawan called and assured him that
the company would be delisted, prompting him to give $620,000 marked money in
two instalments with $500,000 to Lawan and another $120,000 to one Emenalo on
the instruction of Lawan.
With the bribe paid him, the plaintiff averred that Lawan on
April 24 moved the House to delist Zenon Oil but he was still persistent in
demanding the balance of $2,380,000 prompting him to report the incident to the
police.
The plaintiff asserted that despite the ongoing police
investigation, the speaker and Lawan have allegedly conspired to put back the
name of his company on the list of indicted companies to embarrass him and his
business’ corporate image.
He claimed that the purpose of doing that was to force and
intimidate him to drop his complaints against Lawan.
Otedola therefore asked the court to award him N250 billion
for the grave injuries done to his reputation and business image resulting in
the substantial loss of goodwill and patronage of the business built over the
years.
However, Tambuwal and Lawan have filed an objection to the
hearing of the suit, claiming that only the Federal High Court can adjudicate
in such a matter.
The objection was filed by Mr. Kehinde Ogunuwuniju from the
chamber of Chief Afe Babalola (SAN).
Justice Peter Kekemeke of the Abuja High Court, who began
hearing in the suit yesterday, adjourned the case till November 23.
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