The Dutch embassy in Abuja has sacked a Nigeria worker for blowing the whistle on an alleged oil scam involving Operating License 245.
The sacked whistleblower exposed the complicity of Shell Development Corporation of Nigeria in on-going investigation.
The Nigerian (name withheld) working with the Embassy of the Netherlands in Abuja was dismissed following her blowing the whistle on Robert Petri, the then Dutch Ambassador to Nigeria, for allegedly leaking confidential information to Shell senior officials.
In a petition sent to the Foreign Affairs Minister, Geoffey Onyeama, the Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre) said that the Nigerian authorities failed to provide the necessary shield for the whistleblower who lost her job in the defense of her country’s sovereignty.
“You have the responsibility to take practical actions to protect a Nigerian citizen who was sacked for providing relevant information on corruption and the sovereign wealth of the Nigerian people,” HEDA said in the petition jointly signed by its Chairman Olanrewaju Suraju; Dr. Godwin Ojo, ERA/FoE; Nicholas Hildyard, The CornerHouse; Simon Taylor, GlobalWitness; and Luca Manes of Re:Common and sent to Onyeama.
The petition was titled Support for Nigerian Whistleblower who exposed leak of confidential information by former Dutch Ambassador about Shell Corruption Investigation and Protest to Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The whistlebower was sacked by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs after she revealed relevant information expected to aid local and international investigation into the corrupt acquisition of OPL 245 oil field involving Shell and Eni oil companies. The groups want the Federal Government to invite the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs to explain why Ms Onoghaife was sacked despite having been promised that her job was safe after reporting Petri’s breach of confidentiality, invite the current Dutch Ambassador to explain the actions and implications of the actions his predecessor Petri and the Dutch Government’s silence on the matter.
Onyeama also should invite the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs to explain the actions it will take to ensure that such a breach does not reoccur.
“We urge you to strongly consider suspending the Memorandum of Understanding on Bilateral Consultations between Nigeria and the Netherlands signed in 2018 and the 2019 Agreements signed during the Dutch Prime Minister’s visit to Abuja in 2019,” said HEDA and its partners, urging the Minister to brief the Parliamentary Committees on Treaties and Foreign Affairs on this development and ensure their debate and resolution on the international dimensions and implications of the issues be raised.
“This dutiful and patriotic Nigerian was sacked by the Dutch embassy for performing her civic duty. It is unfortunate that she has been left to carry her cross, all lone,” the letter said.
The groups have been leading the anti-corruption crusade investigating corruption by Nigerian politicians and officials including the complicity of European banks, companies and others linked to the OPL 245 deal.
A particular focus of HEDA’s work has been the corrupt acquisition by Shell and Eni of the OPL 245 oil field, which has also exposed alleged corruption by two former Attorney Generals of Nigeria together with former oil ministers. The companies and individuals that are being prosecuted have all denied wrongdoings. The issue has raised global concerns leading to litigation in Italy.
In 2017, Robert Petri the Netherlands Ambassador to Nigeria allegedly warned a local director of Shell about an impending visit by officers of the Dutch Fiscal Information and Investigation Service, a government agency that investigates financial crimes. The investigators were to meet the EFCC as part of a criminal investigation into allegations of widespread bribery by Shell in Nigeria.
The groups said the Ambassador’s actions potentially put the integrity of that investigation at risk, not least because of the risk that Shell might destroy documents or influence the process of investigation not open to Shell at the time.
