I never approved NNPC contracts — Osinbajo

There is confusion in the Presidency over the alleged approval of $25 billion contract by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, as the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, has denied the report that he approved the contract. 

Senior Special Assistant to the President, Office of the Vice President, Laolu Akande, had earlier in his tweets, yesterday, claimed that Osinbajo confirmed approving the contracts.

But the vice president has denied confirming or approving any such NNPC contacts, clarifying that what he approved were loans.

His aide, Akande, had in a series of tweets on his  twitter handle @akandeoj, yesterday, claimed that Osinbajo confirmed approving the contracts after due diligence when he acted as President recently.

However, the Vice President in a swift reaction, denied approving any contract, saying what he approved for the NNPC were two loans. In what appeared to be a U-turn, Akande in a statement said Osinbajo made the clarification in view of media enquiries that followed NNPC’s claim that the contracts were indeed approved by him (Osinbajo).

Osinbajo's spokesman, Laolu Akande, in a statement Thursday night, quoted him as clarifying in Bonny Island where he flagged off the Bodo-Bonny Road, Rivers State, Osinbajo that he only granted loans and not contracts.

Akande said when approached by reporters after the ground-breaking multi-billion naira historic Bonny-Bodo road project, Osinbajo explained specifically that the approvals he granted to the NNPC while he was acting president were for financing arrangements for the Joint Ventures between the corporation and IOCs, and not approvals for contracts.