More information concerning the activities of Stephen Oronsanye while a member of the Nuhu Ribadu led Petroleum Task Force [PTF] committee – has been made public by sources knowledgeable of the happening around the committee. Information available to 247ureports.com indicates that the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Dr. Goodluck Ebelemi Jonathan may have been working in tandem with some members of the PTF Committee to influence the outcome of the committee’s findings and recommendation.
According to a highly credible source from the petroleum industry, the appointment of Stephen Oronsanye to the said committee by Mr. President raised immediate red flags as to the direction the committee may be forced or coerced to follow. Speaking authoritatively, the source pointed to Oronsanye as the point man for the Obasanjo led crude oil cabal – and that the Jonathan administration tapped on his services to assure the PTF committee is sedated to an extent.
A security agent attached to one of the committee members revealed to our correspondent that prior to the completion of the committee report, emissaries from the Presidency and the Federal Minister of Petroleum Resources approached the committee seeking to know the content of the committee report. Nuhu Ribadu was said to have reacted in the negative – and then uncomfortable with releasing the report directly to the Presidency without having the public know the contents of the report. The security agent further revealed that the report had been completed several weeks before it was eventually leaked to international media. The report had been ready for submission to the Presidency through the Federal Minister of Petroleum Resources but the Minister was said to have sat on the report with no intentions of acting on it. It was through this that Nuhu Ribadu leaked the report to the media – to pressurize the presidency into action. And as anticipated, the presidency acted as expected to demand that the report be presented to the President within five days – of its leak to the media.
Immediately the leaked report became public, the Federal Minister of Petroleum Resources – who had sat on the report for several weeks – was quick to add that the report needs re-modification and vetting before it can be accepted by the Presidency. This she said publicly while sources close to her revealed that she was “highly uncomfortable” with the recommendations of the report – she is determined to “rubbish” the report.
The source noted that Oronsanye was brought into government by former finance minister, Anthony Ani in 1995 as a personal assistant on salary grade level 12 – of which an unrealistic salary package prepared for Oronsanye by Ani was rejected by General Sani Abacha. Oronsanye served at the capacity until the arrival of the then Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Alhaji Gidado Idris. Oronsanye returned to government via the arrival of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo. Obasanjo appointed Oronsanye a Senior Special Assistant – and later made him a Principal Secretary to the President. When the list of new Permanent Secretaries was sent to Obasanjo for approval, the former president inserted Oronsanye’s name in biro. Later, President Umaru Yar’adua made Oronsanye the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.
While in government, Oronsanye was found to have served the Obasanjo cabal with unfettered loyalty. According to the source, he represented the interests of the Obasanjo led machinery. “He was utilized repeatedly as the eye and the spoiler for the Obasanjo cabal”. The source added that the Jonathan presidency fits neatly into the Obasanjo cabal – of which Oronsanye has continued to serve to represent the same interest – in a manner similar to his absent contribution to the PTF committee.
One of the many committees which Mr. President had appointed Oronsanye as an absent member was the Adamu Fika-led Presidential Committee on the Review of the Reform Processes in the Nigerian Public Service. Mr. Oronsanye interestingly failed to attend any of the session of the committee – with no reasons given for his absence. And rather than sanction Oronsanye for absence, the Jonathan administration took out the most important term of reference of the Fika committee – and appointed Oronsanye to head the Technical Committee to restructure and Rationalize Federal Government Parastatals and Agencies for Optimal Management of National Resources. The committee outcome and findings were reported to resemble a “paid operation” by involved experts.
For this reason, the involvement of Oronsanye in the PTF Committee caused experts knowledgeable of the practices in the petroleum industry to question the president’s real intentions. Particularly, some who spoke with 247ureports.com point to the controversy surrounding the academic qualifications of Oronsanye – and has called for an investigation into his professed academic background. In their claim, Oronsanye does not possess the B.Sc. or MBA or the ACCA that he claimed he had. “Oronsanye hadn’t been able to say from which schools and universities he obtained these qualifications or when”.
Records at the Career Management Office at the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation show that he had claimed that he had a B.Sc., an MBA and ACCA; but in filing his Record of Service Form, Oronsanye did not list his B.Sc; and instead of ACCA, he listed ACA – ACA is not the same with ACCA. Oronsanye had claimed to have attended–as per his Staff Record Form- the University of Calabar in 1993. The source adds that, “you couldn’t get a Bachelor of Science degree after one year’s study; and if he received his B.Sc. in 1993, when did he get the MBA that he listed in 1995? Which one did he have in 1995: the ACCA of UK or the ACA of Nigeria or does he hold both?”
Checks in the ICAN Membership Year Book up to 1998 show that there are only two Oronsanyes with ACA in the country–one Victor Edosa Oronsanye, with Membership No. 9878 who graduated on April 25, 1996, and Stevenson Idele Oronsanye with Membership No. 11428 who graduated July 30, 1998. There was no Stephen Osagiede Oronsaye on the ICAN register.
Meanwhile recent information made available to our correspondent indicates that Oronsanye may have reaped great rewards for his role as the watch man for the Obasanjo/Jonathan oil cabal. Ongoing investigation suggests Oronsanye owns extensive and prime real estate in Abuja valued in excess of N8.5billion.
