Muhammadu Buhari, the former president of Nigeria, was brought before a Paris arbitration court to testify in a case involving a federal power contract dispute.CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>>
According to information obtained by Peoples Gazette, Mr. Buhari was taken to court on Saturday for violating the conditions of a power generating and distribution contract that former President Olusegun Obasanjo gave to Sunrise Power and Transmission Company of Nigeria in 2003.
Leno Adesanya, the $6 billion project’s principal anchor, has been the subject of anti-graft investigations for more than 20 years. There have been allegations that he bribed a former minister to obtain the contract. According to information obtained, Mr. Buhari underwent hours of interrogation on Saturday and would continue testifying on Sunday before the Paris-based International Chamber of Commerce Court of Arbitration in case number 26260/SPN/AB/CPB.
A senior administration official stated that Mr. Buhari was hesitant to testify about the issue. To force his attendance, Attorney-General Lateef Fagbemi paid him a visit at his Daura home last week. “The president must be in Paris, as the AGF made clear to him,” the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, stated. “The decision to bring his predecessor before the foreign arbitration panel was approved by President Bola Tinubu,” the source continued.
Since former executive assistants are typically held accountable for any powers used on the president’s behalf throughout their terms, it is uncommon for a Nigerian president to appear in court on actions taken while in office. Former President Goodluck Jonathan refused to attend in an Abuja criminal trial in 2017 after receiving a subpoena from a Nigerian court. A request for comments regarding the administration’s decision was not immediately answered by Mr. Fagbemi or two presidential spokespersons. On Saturday night, it was impossible to get in touch with Mr. Buhari’s spokesperson.Approximately $200 million in previously authorized payments for the project, which was to be started in partnership with a Chinese company, were allegedly withheld by Mr. Buhari’s administration. According to court documents, on April 22, 2020, former Attorney-General Abubakar Malami informed Mr. Adesanya and Mambilla Power of the intention to terminate the arrangement. However, Nigerian officials attempted to arrest Mr. Adesanya and accuse him of bribery and economic sabotage after he objected to the measures taken against his company. He went to arbitration after refuting the accusations.Additionally, Mr. Adesanya had to defend himself in Nigerian courts after the EFCC declared him wanted. He was charged with Mr. Obasanjo’s former electricity minister, Olu Agunloye. When he suggested building the Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project using Sunrise Ltd. as the special purpose company to oversee the project, Mr. Adesanya stated that his goal was to guarantee sustainable power in Nigeria.CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>>
