The truth dawned on Uju Ifejika like a twilight of eternal damnation. The boss of Brittania-U Nigeria Limited, an oil firm, practically lost her wits and drowned in a whirlpool of grief as the Supreme Court ruled against her firm, Brittainia U, which requested earlier that the apex court granted an interlocutory injunction requesting Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL) to stay action on the transfer of assets OML 52, 53 and 55 to Amni, Seplat and Belema oil respectively.
While Uju battled Chevron in court over the sale of the OMLs, it crushed her to acknowledge and live with the hard, cold fact that her friend and confidant, Diezani, actually granted consent to the bid process and divestment of the disputed oil blocks in favour of Seplat. Prior to the sale of the OMLs to Seplat Plc, Uju had instituted litigation against Chevron, praying the court to stop the company from selling the OMLs to Seplat Plc.
Uju had been battling with Chevron and Seplat Plc for almost two years yet Chevron sold the three oil blocks despite pending litigations arising from the disputes in the bid process. Uju’s company, the Brittania-U, reportedly won the bid after due process but Chevron suddenly changed its mind and refused to sell the assets to it and instead sold it to Seplat and two others.
The situation wasn’t helped by the fact that Diezani, Uju’s close friend, who was expected to influence the process in her favour, nurtures a soft spot for Seplat Plc; it would be recalled that the petroleum minister shared a very close relationship with Dr. ABC Orjiakor, the boss of Seplat Plc. However, second chance is a treat for the man who had experienced fortune and rank only to lose it. Uju has finally reencountered bliss in trying hours, like the sojourner who discovers a babbling brook in the middle of the Sahara.
She has a reason to smile again as her company has been awarded the mouth-watering crude oil contracts by NNPC. Uju is wearing a wide grin anywhere you see her.
