Economy
Help! Oando in Serious Danger—Shareholders Cry Out
**Renew Call for Tinubu’s Sack, Prosecution
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Shareholders of the embattled Oando Plc have called on relevant authorities to urgently step in to save the company from total collapse.
According to the shareholders, the integrated oil firm is presently in danger and efforts must be done to salvage the situation.
While addressing journalists in Lagos on Wednesday, Chairman of the rusted Shareholders’ Association of Nigeria (TSAN), Mr Mukhtar Mukhtar, accused the apex capital market regulator in Nigeria, the Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC), of acting with some compromises.
He said the regulator has unfortunately not done enough to protect the interest of the minority shareholders of the company.
“Regulators have not done enough to protect shareholders in the whole Oando saga,” Mr Mukhtar told newsmen.
He said government must thoroughly look into the matter and punish any member of the board of the energy firm found culpable.
“Right now, there are very serious concerns that the company cannot continue as company or allow any of its subsidiaries to continue to operate; because, according to reports from auditing firm of Ernst & Young, Oando’s liabilities are far more than the assets; which is quite abnormal. And once a company’s liabilities are greater than its assets, there is no company. No bank anywhere in the world will be willing to have it as an undertaking.
“Some of our members called on the National Assembly (NASS) to call on the regulators to act. Unfortunately, the regulators acted with some compromises. What Oando has done cannot be done in the United States, UK, Europe and even in Asian countries, the company will continue to operate as if nothing happened.
“The regulators are there to protect shareholders and not to protect the interests of few people. In other countries, what the regulator will do first of all if there are evidences or signs of infractions in any company, the management of the company in question will be sacked.
“I don’t know why Oando management board is still there. When some of these things happened in some banks when Sanusi Lamido Sanusi was the Central bank Governor, he sacked the management boards of all the banks that were culpable,” Mr Mukhtar said.
But Oando’s Head of Corporate Communications, Alero Balogun, while reacting to this, was quoted as saying, “SEC in all its communications with us has not found this management wanting, so the question of sack does not arise.”
Last month, SEC placed the shares of the embattled company on technical suspension till further notice, following petitions from Alhaji Dahiru Mangal and Ansbury Incorporated over alleged ‘insider dealings’ and ‘manipulation of the company’s shareholding structure’ in breach of the Investments and Securities Act 2007 and the SEC Code of Corporate Governance for Public Companies.
This was followed by a further suspension of the shares of Oando by the management of the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE).
However, Oando challenged SEC action at the court in Lagos, and further stopped plans by the regulator to conduct a forensic audit on the company and its report.
Oando Plc is led by Mr Adewale Tinubu. At the firm’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) in September 2017, shareholders of the company voted to keep him as the Group Chief Executive Officer of the company as well as members of the board.
Additional information from Daily Trust and Daily Independent
By Adedapo Adesanya
The NASD Over-the-Counter (OTC) Securities Exchange slid by 0.35 per cent on Tuesday, April 22 after the return from the Easter break, with the market capitalisation falling by N6.79 billion to N1.917 trillion from the N1.924 trillion recorded last Thursday, and the NASD Unlisted Security Index (NSI) declining by 11.60 points to 3,274.78 points from the previous session’s 3,286.38 points.
Yesterday, the share price of Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) Plc went down by 60 Kobo to close at N21.50 per unit versus the preceding session’s N22.10 per unit and Geo-Fluids Plc lost 18 Kobo to end at N1.62 per share, in contrast to last Thursday’s N1.80 per share.
On the flip side, the price of FrieslandCampina Wamco Nigeria Plc appreciated by 16 Kobo to quote at N37.80 per unit versus the previous trading day’s N37.64 per unit.
During the session, there was a 40.5 per cent increase in the volume of securities transacted to 174,634 units from the 124,266 units traded in the previous trading day, but the value of transactions slumped by 43.9 per cent to N2.86 million from N5.1 million, and the number of deals dropped by 48.4 per cent to 16 deals from 31 deals.
At the close of business, Impresit Bakolori Plc remained the most active stock by volume on a year-to-date basis with a turnover of 533.9 million units worth N520.9 million, followed by Okitipupa Plc with the sale of 153.6 million units for N4.9 billion, and Industrial and General Insurance (IGI) Plc with 71.2 million units valued at N24.2 million.
Also, Okitipupa Plc remained the most valued stock on a year-to-date with the sale of 153.6 million valued at N4.9 billion, trailed by FrieslandCampina Wamco Nigeria Plc with a turnover of 14.8 million units worth N572.0 million and Impresit Bakolori Plc with a turnover of 533.9 million units sold for N520.9 million.
By Adedapo Adesanya
It was a bad day for the Naira on Tuesday, April 22 as its value plummeted against the United States Dollar by N3.23 or 0.2 per cent at the Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market (NAFEM).
It was the first trading session in the official market after the long Easter Break which started last Friday.
The Nigerian Naira was exchanged with the greenback yesterday at N1,603.16/$1, in contrast to the preceding trading day’s rate of N1,599.93/$1.
However, the local currency closed flat against the Pound Sterling and the Euro in the spot market at N2,120.24/£1 and N1,817.69/€1, respectively.
At the parallel market, the Naira appreciated against the US Dollar during the session by N10 to sell for N1,610/$1 compared with the previous trading session’s N1,620/$1.
In the cryptocurrency market, most of the tokens improved on Tuesday, buoyed by renewed investor optimism and fresh hopes of an ease in US-China trade tensions.
Earlier on Tuesday, remarks from US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who reportedly told investors at a closed-door JPMorgan event that the tariff standoff with China was unsustainable.
Mr Bessent said de-escalation would come “in the very near future,” characterizing current conditions as a “trade embargo.” However, he cautioned that a more comprehensive deal between the two nations could take even years.
Then President Donald Trump, speaking to reporters in the White House later, said that US tariffs on China “will come down substantially” from the current 145 per cent level, allaying concerns of a spiraling trade war.
Ethereum (ETH) jumped by 10.6 per cent to $1,784.93, Dogecoin (DOGE) appreciated by 10.3 per cent to $0.1812, Cardano (ADA) added 9.9 per cent to trade at $0.6971, and Solana (SOL) gained 7.9 per cent to close at $151.25.
Further, Ripple (XRP) grew by 7.5 per cent to $2.25, Bitcoin (BTC) expanded by 6.2 per cent to $93,822.95, Litecoin (LTC) increased by 5.8 per cent to $84.22, and Binance Coin (BNB) went up by 2.3 per cent to $617.20, while the US Dollar Tether (USDT) and the US Dollar Coin (USDC) sold flat at $1.00 each.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The oil market appreciated by more than $1 per on Tuesday as new US sanctions against Iran sparked a recovery after previous selloffs.
During the trading day, Brent crude rose by $1.18 or 1.8 per cent to $67.44 per barrel and the US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude gained $1.23 or 2 per cent to close at $64.32 per barrel.
Brent and WTI fell more than 2 per cent on Monday as the US and Iran signalled progress in talks over the latter’s nuclear programme while President Donald Trump criticised the Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell.
However, the US issued fresh sanctions targeting an Iranian liquefied petroleum gas and crude oil shipping magnate and his corporate network.
The Treasury Department said that the new sanctions targets Iranian liquefied petroleum gas magnate Seyed Asadoollah Emamjomeh and his corporate network, amid ongoing talks with Tehran on its nuclear programme.
Mr Emamjomeh’s network is responsible for shipping hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of Iranian LPG and crude oil to foreign markets, the US Treasury said in a statement.
Both products are a major source of revenue for Iran, helping to fund its nuclear and advanced conventional weapons programs as well as regional proxy groups including Hezbollah, Yemen’s Houthis and the Palestinian Hamas group.
Market analysts noted that despite progress in its talks with the US, failure to reach a deal could weigh heavily on Iran’s oil exports amid tightening US sanctions.
Iran and the US agreed on Saturday to begin drawing up a framework for a potential nuclear deal.
Still on its geopolitical issues, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Tuesday said that he believes trade tensions between the US and China will de-escalate.
The US beef with China and tariffs on virtually all US trading partners, have weighed heavily on oil prices in recent weeks as investors expressed concerns of a potential global economic slowdown that would severely erode oil demand.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Tuesday slashed its economic outlook for this year to 2.8 per cent from 3.3 per cent.
Also, global finance chiefs swarmed Washington seeking deals with President Trump’s team to lower tariffs.
On the supply front, US crude oil inventories fell by nearly 4.6 million barrels last week, market sources said on Tuesday citing American Petroleum Institute (API) data.
Official data from the US Energy Information Agency (EIA) on stockpiles is due later on Wednesday.
-
Feature/OPED5 years agoDavos was Different this year
-
Travel/Tourism9 years ago
Lagos Seals Western Lodge Hotel In Ikorodu
-
Showbiz2 years agoEstranged Lover Releases Videos of Empress Njamah Bathing
-
Banking7 years agoSort Codes of GTBank Branches in Nigeria
-
Economy2 years agoSubsidy Removal: CNG at N130 Per Litre Cheaper Than Petrol—IPMAN
-
Banking2 years agoFirst Bank Announces Planned Downtime
-
Sports2 years agoHighest Paid Nigerian Footballer – How Much Do Nigerian Footballers Earn
-
Technology4 years agoHow To Link Your MTN, Airtel, Glo, 9mobile Lines to NIN