Femi Falana, SAN
Senior Advocate of Nigeria and human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, has called on the Federal Government to take action against the Italian firm Maire Tecnimont SPA and Saipem Nigeria Limited for allegedly breaching a $2.9 billion contract for the repairs of the Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna refineries.
Falana accused Saipem Nigeria Limited, in particular, of causing a “colossal embarrassment” to the government by denying receipt of a $1.4 billion contract in August 2021 for the rehabilitation of the refineries. Speaking on Channels TV’s Politics Today on Thursday, he alleged fraud and urged the government to hold the companies accountable.
He noted that President Bola Tinubu had announced in December that the refineries would resume operations, yet no progress has been made. Falana expressed concern over the situation, stating, “If Saipem is denying the existence of this contract, it is a serious embarrassment for the government. The Federal Executive Council must address how the contract, approved in 2021, is now being denied by the contractor.”
Falana further revealed that he had filed Freedom of Information (FOI) requests to both companies in September, seeking details on the $1.5 billion contract awarded to Maire Tecnimont SPA for the Port Harcourt refinery and the $1.4 billion contract awarded to Saipem for the Warri and Kaduna refineries. He reiterated that those responsible for misleading the government and the public must be held accountable.
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