NIGERIA’s privatisation agency said on Thursday it is reopening bidding for 64,8-million government shares in oil marketer African Petroleum whose earlier sale prompted a parliamentary inquiry. The government said last week it was selling the shares to Sadiq Petroleum Ltd, a little-known oil marketing company, which has agreed to pay 33,00 naira per share or a total 2,1-billion Nigerian naira ($21 million). “It was never really a concluded transaction,” said Nasir El-Rufai, head of the agency known as the Bureau of Public Enterprises. He said that the decision to seek alternative bids was taken even before lawmakers decided on Tuesday to investigate the deal after the surprise decision of BP Amoco – the only other bidder – to withdraw from the contest.