By Sola Ojewusi
In an exclusive interview featured in a soon-to-be-released documentary, former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Pa Dan Etete, has claimed a pivotal role in securing the increase of derivation funds for oil-producing states in Nigeria from 3% to 13%.
Etete, who served under the late Head of State, General Sani Abacha, revealed that it was through his efforts during the Constitutional Conference convened by the military regime that the landmark shift in oil revenue allocation was achieved.
“For the record, I facilitated the increase in the derivation fund from 3% to 13% that oil-producing states in the Niger Delta are now enjoying,” he stated. “I was part of the Constitutional Conference set up by General Abacha and served on the sub-committee on derivation. Our recommendation for the increase was approved by the Supreme Military Council after being presented to the Head of State.”
Behind the Scenes of the Bakassi Peninsula Crisis
Etete also disclosed his behind-the-scenes diplomatic role during the Bakassi Peninsula dispute between Nigeria and Cameroon. According to him, he personally met with then-French President Jacques Chirac in Paris to seek support for Nigeria’s position.
“When Cameroon disengaged from the negotiations and traveled to Tunisia, Chirac asked me to follow and meet the Tunisian President, Ben Ali. I spent two hours with him, followed by another lengthy meeting with the Prime Minister,” Etete said.
He added that Abacha, determined to avoid war with neighboring countries, had instructed him to pursue peaceful alternatives. “My position was that Nigeria and Cameroon should have a joint government over Bakassi, because of the area’s strategic implications for our national security.”
Ogoni Crisis and a Secret Mission to Milan
Etete also weighed in on the international fallout following the execution of Ken Saro-Wiwa and the Ogoni 7 in 1995. On the night of the executions, he said, he flew to Milan for a confidential meeting with special aides to then U.S. President Bill Clinton.
“We held two sessions at a military base in Milan. At the end, Clinton sent a message through his envoy to be delivered to Abacha. He said after hearing Nigeria’s side through me, sanctions would be averted,” Etete claimed.
Mediating Nigeria–Equatorial Guinea Relations
The former minister said he played a similar diplomatic role in easing tensions between Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea. His efforts, he said, led to the establishment of the first joint commission between the two countries. He recalled hosting the Equatorial Guinean President in Abuja in the company of Abacha and other ministers on the eve of the 1998 FIFA World Cup in Paris.
Globe-Trotting for National Interest
In a whirlwind diplomatic effort, Etete said he visited five European capitals in 48 hours, holding meetings with foreign ministers and prime ministers to troubleshoot international concerns on Nigeria’s behalf.
Saving Bonny LNG
Etete also claimed to have rescued the Bonny LNG project from collapse during his tenure as Minister of Petroleum Resources. He recounted that a leading international oil company had planned to abandon the Nigerian project in favor of relocating it to Trinidad and Tobago—along with Nigerian gas reserves.
“I stopped it,” Etete said, emphasizing that his intervention ensured the successful inauguration of the Bonny LNG plant, which has since become a critical part of Nigeria’s gas export infrastructure.
The forthcoming documentary promises to shed more light on Etete’s controversial yet influential role in Nigeria’s oil sector and foreign policy under the Abacha regime.
