I’m sure many haven’t read the offending article and compared it with the statement released so as to analyze both properly. There is nothing in the FG statement that says that anything was signed, so the article uses a false equivalence.
The statement quoted directly what the chairman said at the meeting, and there are recordings of the meeting. The devil is in the details… to quote the article: ‘Therefore, it is natural to have an ongoing dialogue with the administration. However, we are not able to comment on any investment talks. Maersk is due to report first-quarter results on Thursday, meaning that management are in a regulatory quiet period limiting what they can say publicly about the company’s activities.’
Looking at the second paragraph above, they didn’t negate the Nigerian government’s statement but are careful to confirm to the press given their quiet period for their financial results so they don’t get a fine for stock manipulation. But then, if people want to make a mountain out of nothing, be certain that you understand things carefully.
Maersk should have informed the government team not to make details from the meeting public until they release their financial results as it could cause them regulatory problems.