Energy
FG fails to pay whistle-blower who exposed secret $223m NNPC account
BY PUNCh Newspapers
The Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation is currently enmeshed in a scandal after refusing to pay a whistle-blower (name withheld) his N1.8bn commission for exposing an account with $223m (N80.2bn).
Several documents made available to The PUNCH by a source in the AGF’s office, showed that the whistle-blower approached the AGF, Abubakar Malami (SAN), in June 2018 and informed him of an account named, ‘NNPC Brass LNG INV. Fund’ with number 1750027157 domiciled in Skye Bank (now Polaris Bank).
The bank was said to have failed to remit the money to the Central Bank of Nigeria in contravention of the Treasury Single Account policy of the Federal Government.
Bank documents showed that the account was opened with the sum of $328, 998, 818.24 on May 31, 2014, at the Asokoro branch of the bank
According to statement of account obtained by The PUNCH, about $50m was transferred from the account to the account of the National Security Adviser domiciled in the account of the Central Bank of Nigeria on May 8, 2014 while Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.) was still the NSA.
Investigations further revealed that after the Muhammadu Buhari-led government began the full implementation of the TSA and ordered that all government funds in commercial banks be transferred to the CBN, the aforementioned account continued to operate.
It was learnt that when the Bank Verification Number initiative was introduced and Maikanti Baru was appointed as the Group Managing Director of the NNPC, 14 persons (all NNPC officials) were listed as signatories to the account in contravention of banking practices.
Some of the names of signatories include: NNPC GMD, Maikanti Baru, with BVN 22169280709; NNPC Group General Manager, Babatunde Victor Adeniran, with BVN 22144631650; Head of Marketing, Mele Kolo Kyari, with BVN 22206528997; and Group General Manager, Research and Development, Surajudeen Bolanle Afolabi with BVN 22215178271.
Others include, Managing Director, Nigerian Petroleum Development Company, Yusuf Shimingah Matashi with BVN 22272006629; NNPC Secretary, Chukwudi Ogonna Momah, with BVN 22144111468; Group General Manager, CSR, Ohi Alegbe with BVN 22232395310; and Group General Manager, Group Insurance, NNPC, Modupe Bammeke with BVN 22190602006.
Upon reporting the matter to the AGF, the whistle-blower was said to have been referred to the Special Investigation Panel and briefed them on his findings.
He subsequently accompanied officials of the panel to the bank where top officials were arrested and made statements.
Members of the bank’s board were also invited by the panel where they were said to have complained that transferring all the money to the CBN in one fell swoop would affect the bank negatively and pleaded for the option of paying in instalments.
After playing his part, the whistle-blower signed a bond along with the AGF which was witnessed by Ladidi Mohammed, the Head, Asset Recovery and Management Unit at the AGF’s office.
A copy of the bond dated June 14, 2018 which was obtained by The PUNCH stated in part that, “any recovered amount from N5bn and above attracts a flat/definite reward of two and a half per cent of the recovered sum.”
It further stated the commission shall become due and payable to the whistle-blower ‘within 30 days’ of the receipt of the recovered/looted funds by the Federal Government and payment shall be made to the designated/nominated account provided in writing by the whistle-blower.
Checks by The PUNCH revealed that $30m was transferred from the said account to the CBN in three tranches on March 1, 2019, March 6, 2019 and April 25.
It was, however, learnt that 11 months after the agreement was signed, the Federal Government had failed to give the whistle-blower any money.
In a letter signed by the whistle-blower’s lawyer, Aliyu Lemu, which was addressed to the AGF, the whistle-blower lamented the failure of the government to honour the agreement.
He threatened to sue the Federal Government if he was not paid his commission within seven days.
The letter read in part, “We therefore on behalf of our client make a final demand for the immediate payment of the sum of N1, 829, 794, 676 being the reward due to our client as stipulated in paragraph (e) of the whistle-blower Reward Agreement executed with the Federal Government.
“Take notice that if the above final demand is not heeded within the period of seven days from the date of receipt of this letter, we shall explore all other social, public and legal remedies available to our client under the constitution of Nigeria without further recourse to your good office.”
When contacted on the telephone, the Head, Corporate Communications at Polaris Bank, Rasheed Bolarinwa, promised to get back to our correspondent but he had yet to do so as of press time.
Similarly, the AGF as well as his spokesman, Salihu Isah, did not respond to inquiries on Monday.
The PUNCH recalls that the Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed, boasted last week that the Federal Government had recovered N605bn through the whistleblower policy.
However, checks by The PUNCH showed that whistle-blowers were not always paid on time.
The PUNCH had reported in 2017 that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had recovered $43m, £27,000, N23m from a house in Ikoyi which belonged to the National Intelligence Agency.
However, it was only after pressure from the media eight months later that the Federal Government was compelled to pay the whistle-blower the sum which had been forfeited several months earlier.
The acting EFCC Chairman, Mr. Ibrahim Magu, had a few months ago lamented the slow pace at which whistle-blowers were getting their commission and how it could undermine the success of the policy.
Energy
AVEVA Unveils Key Learnings from its 2023 Sustainability Progress Report and first AVEVA Industrial Intelligence Index
AVEVA, a global leader in industrial software, launches AVEVA’s 2023 Sustainability Progress Report and the first edition of the AVEVA Industrial Intelligence Index at London Tech Week 2024 where the company advocates for an ethical and impact-driven AI aimed at increasing creativity and efficiency for a more sustainable world.
AVEVA 2023 Sustainability Progress Report: key learnings
In 2023, AVEVA continued to make progress on its core ESG framework objectives, including enabling the sustainable transformation of industry through its software, modelling environmental stewardship and ethical best practice, and fostering an inclusive workplace culture where every employee feels engaged and empowered to learn and grow.
This fourth edition of the report is AVEVA’s first publication of ESG data and workstream advancements aligned to a calendar year reporting period. It details progress made in 2023 to AVEVA’s three key pillars: Technology handprint, Operational footprint, and Inclusive culture.
Technology handprint
“Beyond our efforts to reduce our own carbon footprint, we recognize that our biggest opportunity to make a positive impact and accelerate our journey towards NetZero is through our core products, digital solutions that can help industries improve efficiency, circularity, traceability and resilience” declared Lisa Wee, Global Head of Sustainability, AVEVA.
With this regard, the company has developed a green new logo program that has supported in the first six months the deployment of clean tech activities for 25 customers. In addition, with 13 new case studies quantifying the reduction of emissions AVEVA software enables for customers, the company demonstrates how it walks the talk through tangible achievements contributing to sustainability. Last but not least, hackathons run in 2023 generated 80 sustainability-led technology ideas for future innovations.
2023 also saw the launch of AVEVA’s Sustainability Accelerator program the purpose of which is to advance sustainability use cases and capabilities across the company’s portfolio and partner ecosystem, including via AVEVA’s industrial intelligence platform, CONNECT.
“AVEVA’s Sustainability Accelerator program aims to enable faster uptake of existing sustainability solutions across the industrial landscape, while we continue to invest in product capabilities and partnerships that will push out the frontiers of sustainability innovation for industry” said Joana Mainguy, Director of Sustainability in charge of the program.
Finally, AVEVA has pioneered a new standard for green software: since the end of 2023, 31% of its portfolio has built-in power consumption measurement technology.
Operational footprint
In 2023, AVEVA met 4 out of the 15 2025 ESG targets including 93% reduction in scope 1 and scope 2 emissions through a combination of measures: the company procured 100% of renewable electricity in all global markets as per RE100 criteria, reduced its overall fleet of 21% over the year, and counted hybrid or electric vehicles for 25% of the remaining fleet. Notable achievements related to upstream emissions include a 36% decrease in purchased goods and services and a 49% decrease in business travel emissions. The latter goes beyond our 2025 ESG goal of a 20% reduction.
Regarding the scope 3, AVEVA has integrated e-waste data in the inventory under the waste category to report another significant achievement: “Our initial target of diverting 5 tons of e-waste from landfill in 2025 was surpassed by 22.75 tons in 2023. 100% of e-waste sent to our disposal partner is now diverted from landfill,” explained Lisa Wee.
Inclusive culture
AVEVA’s commitment to developing a workplace environment where all employees feel included and are treated with dignity and respect is also highlighted in the report.
“Globally, with 39.9% of new hires, 29% of managers and 26,5% of leaders being women, AVEVA has significantly increased gender representation in 2023 and will continue in this direction to raise these numbers to 50% of new hires, 40% of managers and 30% of leaders by 2030. Besides, we have reached our goal of less than 1% pay equity, and it currently stands at 0.5%”,commented Lisa Wee with enthusiasm. In addition, AVEVA demonstrated its commitment to society donating £ 310,000 to causes supported by AVEVA employees’ communities around the world.
AVEVA also achieved key milestones in regions: In the US, the company has developed a partnership with two Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) for an ‘AVEVA Scholars Program. Spanning three years, the program includes scholarships and immersive onsite experiences, ultimately paving the way for talented Black scholars in Engineering and Computer Science to join the AVEVA team upon graduation. The pilot will kick-off mid-June 2024 and count 12 students.
AVEVA INDUSTRIAL INTELLIGENCE INDEX REPORT: A 2-in-1 publication to report on industrial needs and to give guidance on existing solutions through inspiring examples of successful and sustainable digital transformation:
At London Tech Week 2024, AVEVA launched its first annual AVEVA Industrial Intelligence Index:
“AVEVA has been supporting the industrial world for more than half a century. Listening to our customers’ needs and understanding their challenges is how we innovate and develop tailored solutions that will help them cope with current and future challenges. With more than 25 000 customers across all industries, we have built a unique expertise. Today I’m delighted to introduce our first AVEVA Industrial Intelligence Index Report. Our ambition is to issue this report every year to help C-suite executives, business unit leaders, and strategic decision-makers leverage industrial intelligence and succeed in the digital age, with inspiring insights about how industries transform towards a more sustainable future” declared Caspar Herzberg, AVEVA CEO.
Drawing on research conducted with 500 global industry executives across Europe, North America and Asia Pacific, this first edition gives valuable and actionable insights into the power, manufacturing, infrastructure, and chemicals industries. Including comments from AVEVA’s experts and leaders, the report unveils macro trends and describes the forces that drive change and innovation. It also presents case studies showcasing successful digitalization initiatives, and strategies for driving innovation and efficiency to chart a course towards a more sustainable and profitable future.
- Joanna Mainguy will steer strategies for sustainability innovation across AVEVA’s portfolio and partner ecosystem, furthering ESG targets for 2025 and beyond
AVEVA, a global leader in industrial software, driving digital transformation and sustainability, today announced the appointment of Joanna Mainguy as Sustainability Accelerator Director.
Joanna’s appointment testifies to AVEVA’s dedication to strengthening the company’s sustainability impact in line with advancing global climate commitments.
As Sustainability Accelerator Director, Joanna Mainguy will focus exclusively on sustainability solutions and strategies to accelerate innovation that will help AVEVA’s customers to achieve their net-zero targets.
She will look at how AVEVA leverages current market and customer analysis to inform its in-house development team, advise on new customer collaborations and on how AVEVA should grow its partnership network and M&A pipeline to reflect its sustainability priorities.
Joanna will lead the implementation of a sustainability solutions plan tailored to meet the most pressing needs of AVEVA’s industrial customers on low-carbon transition, circularity and resilience, via an integrated product, marketing and sales approach. She will work closely with AVEVA’s portfolio, business area and R&D leads to continue to develop new sustainability capabilities and drive collaboration on go-to-market initiatives that support industry with contributing to an accelerated energy transition and shift to a circular economy.
Joanna was formerly Industry Director, EMEA, for Energy & Sustainability at Microsoft, where she led strategic engagements with major energy providers and supported the energy transition with digital solutions. She has worked across the entire energy value chain and has more than 15 years of experience in process industries and the energy sector, including work for major system integrators, software and energy companies.
Lisa Wee, Global Head of Sustainability, AVEVA, said: “We are excited to welcome Joanna to AVEVA. She will bolster our mission to enable faster uptake of existing sustainability solutions across the industrial landscape, while in parallel we continue to invest in product capabilities and partnerships that will push out the frontiers of sustainability innovation for industry. At AVEVA we look to lead by example on sustainability and we achieved a 93% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions last year. We aspire to help our customers better leverage digital solutions to realize their own ambitious sustainability targets early, and Joanna brings a wealth of experience to help support this.”
Commenting on her appointment, Joanna Mainguy, Sustainability Accelerator Director, AVEVA, said: “I am delighted to join AVEVA at such a pivotal time in its sustainability innovation and growth trajectory. I look forward to working with AVEVA teams and customers to continue to grow the sustainability benefits that can be achieved with AVEVA software. I am also keen to work closely with our partners to drive further positive change at scale, since we know addressing the climate crisis will continue to require expanded collaboration”.
AVEVA actively embeds sustainability into its core product strategy with specific capabilities in its software portfolio.
AVEVA’s software enables organizations to connect and contextualize key sustainability data with artificial intelligence and human insight, enhancing their agility, resilience and sustainability in order to help drive responsible use of the world’s resources.
AVEVA’s 2023 Sustainability Progress Report reveals significant progress across all three pillars of the company’s sustainability framework, encompassing product strategy, operations and culture.
In pursuit of meeting the targets of 20% (unconditional) and 47% (conditional) greenhouse gas emission reduction as contained in the Nationally Determined Contribution under the Paris Accord signed by the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration, the NNPC Ltd/TotalEnergies Joint Venture has achieved zero routine gas flare in all its assets.
According to a statement signed by Olufemi Soneye, Chief Corporate Communications Officer, NNPC Ltd., this feat was announced on Thursday during an inspection tour of OML 100 in South-eastern Niger Delta, off Port Harcourt, by a joint NNPC Ltd and TotalEnergies Team to ascertain the success of the OML Flare Reduction Project launched in December 2023.
The NNPC Ltd/TotalEnergies Joint Venture, which is the concession holder of four leases, had hitherto achieved zero routine flaring across OML 99 (2006), OML 102 (2014), and OML 58 (2016), leaving OML 100 as the only lease with routine flaring going on.
The significance of this achievement is that the last routine flare volume of about 12MMscf/d (twelve million standard cubic feet per day) of gas has now been eliminated giving rise to a greenhouse gas emissions reduction of about 341KtCO₂e/yr.
The achievement is an outcome of a programme introduced by the NNPC Ltd to galvanize action towards achieving the zero routine flare by 2030 across its portfolio of assets.
It is also a testament to NNPC Ltd’s prioritization of sustainability anchored on the ‘first R’ of its 5R Strategy (Reduce, Replace, Renew, Re-plant, Repurpose), as it strives to reduce its carbon footprint.
Work is ongoing across all other assets within NNPC Ltd’s Upstream Directorate to ensure that all assets achieve zero routine flaring by 2030 or earlier.
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