Mambilla power project: I’m being scapegoated; Obasanjo lying to protect himself – Agunloye

• The former minister has, however, accused his former boss of deliberately peddling falsehoods, muddling the water and obscuring his own record regarding the project.

The embattled former Minister of Power and Steel, Olu Agunloye, has thrown more light on the Mambilla power project litigation.

Agunloye said the government is using the case to make him a scapegoat to show the endemic and systemic corruption in Nigeria to the arbitration panel.

Agunloye, who was accused of a six-billion-dollar Mambilla Hydroelectric plant fraud, had earlier sought the intervention of the Minister of Justice, Mr. Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), and other personalities over the matter.

Agunloye, who is the National Secretary of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), is facing a seven-count charge brought by the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court over the contract.

Agunloye served as Minister of Power and Steel between 2002 and 2003 under Obasanjo. Obasanjo was Nigeria’s civilian president between 1999 and 2007.

The former minister has, however, accused his former boss of deliberately peddling falsehoods, muddling the water and obscuring his own record regarding the project.

Agunloye, in a statement on Friday, disclosed that Obasanjo pretended to be oblivious to the the BOT contract during his presidency and later distorted the facts in public and judicial settings.

He added that his travails is not unconnected to personal conflicts between President Obasanjo and two of his associates: former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Leno Adesanya, the owner of Sunrise Power Company.

“The government seeks to use me as a scapegoat to portray systemic corruption to the arbitration panel and undermine Sunrise’s claims. Challenges stem from personal conflicts between President Obasanjo and two of his associates: former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Leno Adesanya, owner of Sunrise Power Company.

“Obasanjo feigned ignorance of the BOT contract during his presidency and later distorted the facts in public and judicial settings.

“The arbitration in France arose from actions taken by successive administrations, particularly under President Buhari. In 2017, then-Minister of Power Babatunde Fashola bypassed a 2012 agreement signed under President Goodluck Jonathan with Sunrise and awarded the contract to another company.

“Despite advice from the Chinese government to resolve the dispute amicably, the FGN failed to honor two settlement agreements, leading Sunrise to return to arbitration.

“The government is spreading misinformation and using me as a pawn to divert attention from the actions of its own officials and four former presidents who handled the project over two decades.”