Ishaya Ibrahim
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, has reacted to claims that the federal government’s reinstatement of Intels Logistics boat operation contract, was meant to benefit him.
Atiku, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic (PDP) in the February 25 election, disclosed in a post on Sunday, that he no longer has a stake in Intels Logistics, hence could not be a beneficiary of the contract.
The government had a few days ago, through the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) reinstated Intel’s boat management contract which the then President Muhammadu Buhari’s government terminated.
On social media, some netizens interpreted the news to mean a business deal that would favour Atiku.
But in a statement posted on X, Atiku clarified that no benefit would accrue to him from the reinstatement.
He said, “In January 2021, I made public the sale of my shares in Integrated Logistic Services Nigeria Limited (Intels) to Orlean Investment Group, the parent company of Intels.
“The phased sale of those shares that commenced in 2018 peaked in December 2020. Intels also made public my exit from the oil and gas logistics company, meaning that a different entity now owns those shares I sold.
“My divestment from the company that I co-founded has not been reversed. Consequently, I cannot, by any stretch of the imagination, be a beneficiary of the reinstatement of the boat pilotage monitoring business that was taken away from Intels by the Federal Government.
“Therefore, the insinuation that I am a beneficiary of the decision to rescind the cancellation of the contract between Intels and the Federal Government is untrue and should be seen for what it is: mischief. -AA”