Capt. Hosa Okunbor, the Chairman of Ocean Marine Security Limited, an off-shore asset protection company, has revealed his connection with the former petroleum minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke who is facing several corruption charges in the country and beyond.
Speaking on the claims from some quarters that he was involved in the controversial offshore processing agreements, OPAs, known as oil swaps in which the former minister along with her accomplices have been implicated, the businessman denied his participation and connection.
Recall that the Ocean Marine Security Limited renders services to major oil companies in Nigeria, including the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC.
Okunbor while speaking on the allegation from some quarters said in a statement releaed by his Media Assistant, Olanrewaju Anjolaoluwa, that if he had been involved in the shady deals, he would have been investigated and fished out.
The statement released stated that the allegation is “another highly falsified report establishing a link between me and the on-going investigations of the controversial offshore processing agreements by a U.S. jury.”
It continued: “For the umpteenth time, the online media feasted on blatant falsehood and outright lies in relation to my business dealings. As this falsehood is being assisted with the ubiquity of social media, it is becoming increasingly clear that maintaining silence further will be misconstrued for consent.”
Okunbor further stated that the online report emanated in 2015 from an online news medium adding that he had also issued a disclaimer then.
“I had believed the media would stop such malicious reports but sheer laziness and unprofessionalism on the side of some bloggers have sustained the tautological misrepresentation of the contract that formed the basis for the first publication. Ocean Marine Solutions, OMS Limited, was contracted by the NNPC to provide security coverage for the crude oil transportation because of its longstanding sterling reputation in maritime security.
“This became imperative after NNPC had offered PPP Fluid Mechanics Limited (his indigenous procurement and oilfield services company) a contract to transport crude from Escravos to Warri Refinery when it had become highly uneconomical to transport crude oil between these locations through the pipeline in view of government’s huge expenditure of about $121 million for the maintenance and repairs of the Escravos-Warri broken crude oil pipeline.”