By Robert Egbe
Officials of Societe Nationale Petroliere de Cote D’Ivoire (PETROCI) have alleged that they were prevented from physically participating in MRS Oil Nigeria Plc’s 52nd Annual General Meeting (AGM) which was held on Tuesday in Lagos.
Petroci’s Director-General, Dr Ibrahima Diaby, said security officials at the Civic Centre on Victoria Island, denied him and other representatives of the francophone firm access.
PETROCI, the equivalent of Nigeria’s Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), and MRS are in a dispute over the release of a final award/decision of an Arbitral Tribunal delivered on March 24, 2021, and June 21, 2021, respectively.
Diaby said: “MRS should abide by the terms in the arbitral award, to which they already acknowledged and even demanded the account number of Petroci to pay the money into.
“We are writing to the Federal Government of Nigeria and SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) to help look into this unfortunate incident of our being locked out of the AGM.
“MRS is discouraging genuine investors who earnestly desire to explore investment opportunities in Nigeria.”
But MRS explained in its Notice of AGM on its website that it would be held in strict compliance with government directives on COVID-19 and related guidelines, meaning that physical participation would be limited.
MRS Company Secretary, Mrs O.M. Jafojo, stated in the notice that as an alternative for shareholders and other stakeholders not able to physically participate, the AGM was streamed live via the company’s website and on Youtube, so they could partake virtually in the AGM.
The Nation observed participants keeping to COVID rules in the live stream on YouTube.
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