activities

of the revocation of Mr Brown’s work permit, visa and residence permit as well as of a petition from a lawyer to some aggrieved Seplat Energy employees, bringing some allegations against Mr Brown.

“These accusations include racism, favouring foreign workers, and discriminating against Nigerian employees. Testimony was received from several witnesses, which supported the allegations,” the letter said.

“Mr. Roger T. Brown declined to attend despite two invitations, claiming to be unavailable even though we learnt he was in Abuja for other purposes at the time,” it added.

Seplat Energy Plc in its reaction Thursday debunked reports that the work, visa and residence permit of Mr Brown was withdrawn by the Ministry of Interior.

“Seplat Energy wishes to refute the false allegations against Mr. Brown, which have been presented to the Ministry of Interior and the public by certain petitioners, and which have not been brought to the attention of Mr. Roger Brown or Seplat Energy for a reaction,” the oil and gas company said in a Thursday notification to the Nigerian Exchange.

It stated further it plans to contact the ministry with a view to rejecting the perceptions the reports have created, noting that the claims are a malicious response to the implementation of corporate governance standards in the company by the board.

The statement issued on the authorisation of the chair of the directors’ board, Mr Omiyi, disclosed that the CEO has earned for himself over the last ten years an unsullied reputation for leadership and service in the company.

His records prompted the board to pass a vote of confidence on him on 8 March, 2023, it added.

Abia guber: Obi has no agreement with Ikpeazu –LP candidate Otti

By Christiana Ekpa

Ahead of the March 18 governorship election, Alex Otti, the gubernatorial candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in Abia State, has rubbished claims that his party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, had an agreement with Governor Okezie Ikpeazu to support the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Okey Ahiwe, in the state.

Speaking on a television programme, Otti said that there was no such agreement, adding that Obi is a man of honour.

According to Otti, Obi would be in Abia to campaign for him ahead of the governorship election.

He said “I know for a certainty that there was no such agreement, and I know Peter Obi very well, I had known him for details, and I know him as a man of honour, and he cannot enter into a fraudulent agreement.

“Let’s assume without conceding that there was such an agreement with Okezie Ikpeazu. The question to ask is how well did he implement the agreement because for you to deliver somebody, you must deliver yourselves first and in that election, he failed. He came third in his senatorial race. Abaribe came first, my candidate Chinedu came second by the result declared by INEC, and Okezie came a distant third.

“So if he could not deliver himself, how can he claim that he was the one that delivered Peter Obi? Mr Peter Obi was delivered by Labour Party and the Obidients in Abia State, which doesn’t include PDP. So I will just say it is the cry of a man that is drowning. Peter Obi, bearing all problems that have to do with his litigations, will be in Abia and he will campaign for us.

“So there was no such agreement. He would have loved that agreement to hold. Let me ask them, Okezie Ikpeazu is a member of the G5; what happened to their leader [Wike] in Rivers State, who he supported? So my understanding is that the G5 supported the APC candidate [Bola Tinubu], so to that extent, he cannot come to reap where he did not sow.”