An anti-corruption activist, Akere Muna has been pushing for the punishment of officials of the National Hydrocarbons Company (SNH) suspected of corruption in the award of contracts to Glencore. In a new statement, the lawyer is pleased that his fight is now forcing SNH to publish messages in newspapers to counter what it claims is manipulation.
Following is the Statement by Lawyer Akere Muna in its entirety:
SNH: MANIPULATOR IN CHIEF
I pushed SNH to explain to the public the mystery surrounding crude oil sales. After years of hiding information, SNH is now scrambling to publish messages in newspapers to counter what it claims is manipulation. Ironic, given that their senior officials were heavily bribed by the Corrupt Man in Chief, Glencore, who testified in court that they paid bribes “to obtain favourable business terms”.
Two years after I exposed suspicious discount sales, SNH is finally waking up. To the SNH communications team: remember, transparency is key. Information is always more powerful than mere explanations. Cameroon is currently suspended from EITI largely due to a lack of transparency. SNH should hold a public debate to enlighten Cameroonians.
Let’s not forget: the decision to suspend Cameroon from EITI is a reminder of who the real manipulator is. The decision states in part that: “Cameroon can also improve the relevance of the EITI on matters of public interest such as the Glencore case.” For example, it could extend disclosures to rules and practices related to the selection of buyers in the context of sales of government revenues in kind, as well as historical data on crude oil exports at the cargo level.
The Board urges Cameroon to take into account the ongoing public debates on the extractive industries in defining the scope of its EITI reporting. If SNH cannot expose the corruptors in its company, then it should cancel all its transactions with the self-confessed corruptor-in-chief Glencore or simply keep quiet! “Man no run”.