Senate approves N48bn pipeline security contract with ex-militant leader, Tompolo
The Senate has approved the Federal Government's N48 billion pipeline oversight contract with the Ekpemupolo government, popularly known as Tompolo.
The former Niger Delta militant leader now leads pipeline protection in Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo and Rivers states.
In August, the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari hired Tompolo due to increased oil theft in the South-South.
The agreement between the Ministry of Petroleum Resources and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) was to halt the loss of approximately 500,000 barrels of oil per day in Nigeria.
On Tuesday, Senator Albert Akpan, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Petroleum (Upstream), confirmed the Red House's approval.
The lawmaker spoke to reporters in Abuja after presenting the report of the senate ad hoc committee on oil theft and theft.
Bassey said there was nothing wrong with engaging non-state actors to secure pipelines as long as the contract produced the desired results.
“There are both formal and informal approaches to solving the problem,” he quoted NAN as saying.
"If this contract was duly contracted and processed, we have no problem with it and if it yields the desired results, I don't think there is anything wrong."
The Senate has approved the Federal Government's N48 billion pipeline oversight contract with the Ekpemupolo government, popularly known as Tompolo.
The former Niger Delta militant leader now leads pipeline protection in Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo and Rivers states.
In August, the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari hired Tompolo due to increased oil theft in the South-South.
The agreement between the Ministry of Petroleum Resources and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) was to halt the loss of approximately 500,000 barrels of oil per day in Nigeria.
On Tuesday, Senator Albert Akpan, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Petroleum (Upstream), confirmed the Red House's approval.
The lawmaker spoke to reporters in Abuja after presenting the report of the senate ad hoc committee on oil theft and theft.
Bassey said there was nothing wrong with engaging non-state actors to secure pipelines as long as the contract produced the desired results.
“There are both formal and informal approaches to solving the problem,” he quoted NAN as saying.
"If this contract was duly contracted and processed, we have no problem with it and if it yields the desired results, I don't think there is anything wrong."
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