Sources close to the industry, as well as in political circles, confirmed to Nigerian Tribune that the aggrieved parties have mapped out a strategy that will ensure the ouster of Diezani before the passage of the oil bill by the National Assembly.
It was learnt that major players in the oil industry are disenchanted about the new tax regime which the PIB is planning to foist on the stakeholders.
Sources said that the existing tax regime which the PIB seeks to terminate is seen as favorable to business viability of the major oil players, while the new PIB is aiming to deny these businessmen in the industry huge profits they are used to.
Said a source: “The Minister of Petroleum, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke, has come under spirited attacks in recent times. Her detractors are angry that she seems to be having her way through with the PIB in the National Assembly.
“Her traducers were said to have mapped out a two pronged approach to ease her out of office and also ensure the National Assembly reverses the gains the nation could benefit from the PIB.”
There are rumours of an impending cabinet reshuffle.
Sources stated that the international oil companies (IOCs) were nursing the belief that the PIB would die a natural death at the National Assembly.
However, they have grown further concerned that the state governors have bought into the planned passage of the bill.
While Nigeria has huge gas reserves, the current fiscal regime which the PIB seeks to abolish, has left the country at the mercy of the quartet of IOCs.
A source said that governors were not supporting the IOCs in the bid to cut off a number of taxes. “Governors want more money from the Federation Account. They see the PIB’s fiscal regime as a way of boosting their monthly allocation and are not buying any of the scare-mongering by the IOCs.”
Sources further stated that one of the strategies aimed at getting at Diezani was to continuously link her with the inability of government to check oil theft.
“Their tactic has been to focus on the crime of oil theft without mentioning the gains recorded against the vandals in the past one year: it is an established fact that a lot of the infrastructure is aging and was built above ground, thereby making it easier for criminal elements to breach pipelines and carry out illegal activities.
“This administration is championing the fight against crude oil theft in imaginative ways, including reaching out to governments across the globe to treat stolen oil much the same way of blood diamonds. A lot of resources have been given to the security services to combat this menace,” a source said on Sunday.
It was learnt that the minister, through the new PIB, is aiming to stop Nigeria from being a cash cow of the IOCs, especially by ensuring that the nation makes maximum benefit of her gas reserves.
One of the alleged sins of the minister was said to be the recent divestment from Nigeria by Shell, but industry watchers told the Nigerian Tribune that there was no cause for concern. “Once again an attempt is made here to distort the facts. Yes, there has been some divestment by some of the companies operating in Nigeria, but again this ignores the obvious fact that others are steppimg in to pick up these assets and run them profitably. In addition, a lot of these assets are being picked up by indigenous firms, thereby creating huge employment opportuinities for Nigerians, while giving them a stake in the industry. Some of these indigenous companies are indeed beginning to compete on equal terms with the international companies,” a source said.
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