Why we awarded a multi-billion naira pipeline protection contract to Tompolo - NNPC
The Nigerian government on Tuesday outlined the awarding of a multi-billion naira pipeline monitoring contract to a former leader of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, the Ekpemupolo government, popularly known as Tompolo, as the "right decision".
Speaking at the 49th State House Briefing at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Tuesday, Mele Kyari, the Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, said the decision was made necessitated by Nigeria's need to hire private contractors. to manage its nationwide pipeline network due to a massive oil theft.
Mr. Kyari argued that this is not the first time that individuals from the Niger Delta region have been awarded contracts for monitoring a pipeline.
The clarification came as NNPC Limited awarded a pipeline monitoring contract to Tompolo.
The surveillance contract is said to be worth 48 billion naira per year (4 billion naira per month), according to a report by The Nation.
Several activist groups in the region are reportedly angry with the federal government for leaving them out of this juicy contract, threatening to render the monitoring contract unenforceable.
On Tuesday, Kyari said the federal government was not dealing directly with Tompolo but with a private company in which he has a stake.
"Security agencies are doing their part, end-to-end surveillance of the pipeline would require the involvement of private entities and community actors," Kyari said.
"We need private contractors to manage the right-of-way for these pipelines. So we put in place a framework for contractors to come and bid and they were selected through a competitive bidding process. offers. And we believe we made the right decision."
According to Mr. Kyari, the decision was intended to achieve three main objectives.
He said, "First, to make sure the government security agencies do their part, we have our navy, the army and they're doing a great job of containing that, but as you do, that sustenance is paramount and so we have also decided that we need private contractors to manage the right of way and also operate outside of the right of way so that they can also join us in managing the community members.
>"We don't have access to that and therefore we have put in place a framework where contractors have been selected through a tendering process for people who can do it, everyone can't do it and Tompolo is just mentioned, we are dealing with legal persons.
"He may have interests in the company, we don't deal with Tompolo, but we know he has interests in this company.
READ ALSO: Court dismisses charges against Tompolo and others“We know that we are hiring everyone else who can help us in this situation. This has happened many times over time and the result has been that it has been contained in a process like this and we believe we are making the right decision,” Mr. Kyari said.
Okowa speaksIn a statement signed by his chief press secretary, Olisa Ifeajika, on Tuesday, Delta State Governor and People's Democratic Party Vice Presidential candidate, Ifeanyi Okowa, praised the Nigerian government for having awarded the contract to a company owned by Tompolo.
The award, he said, indicated that the government had listened to him on how to review contracts to monitor oil facilities and integrate oil communities to check on rising cases of theft of oil, an idea he suggested when a federal government delegation on oil-theft issues recently visited him in Asaba.
He said the state was pleased to learn that just days after the visit, the federal government listened to Mr. Okowa's advice and awarded the surveillance contract to Tompolo.
He noted that giving jobs to people in the Niger Delta would give them a sense of belonging and help reduce the growing incidence of oil theft with its concomitant effect on the country's economy.
Mr. Okowa said it was high time that host communities, who bear the severe consequences of oil exploration and exploitation in the region, were seen as partners in the oil production process.
>According to him, awarding monitoring contracts to natives was the way to go because they know the terrain well and would do their best to guard the oil installations.
"Our governor's warning was the...
The Nigerian government on Tuesday outlined the awarding of a multi-billion naira pipeline monitoring contract to a former leader of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, the Ekpemupolo government, popularly known as Tompolo, as the "right decision".
Speaking at the 49th State House Briefing at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Tuesday, Mele Kyari, the Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, said the decision was made necessitated by Nigeria's need to hire private contractors. to manage its nationwide pipeline network due to a massive oil theft.
Mr. Kyari argued that this is not the first time that individuals from the Niger Delta region have been awarded contracts for monitoring a pipeline.
The clarification came as NNPC Limited awarded a pipeline monitoring contract to Tompolo.
The surveillance contract is said to be worth 48 billion naira per year (4 billion naira per month), according to a report by The Nation.
Several activist groups in the region are reportedly angry with the federal government for leaving them out of this juicy contract, threatening to render the monitoring contract unenforceable.
On Tuesday, Kyari said the federal government was not dealing directly with Tompolo but with a private company in which he has a stake.
"Security agencies are doing their part, end-to-end surveillance of the pipeline would require the involvement of private entities and community actors," Kyari said.
"We need private contractors to manage the right-of-way for these pipelines. So we put in place a framework for contractors to come and bid and they were selected through a competitive bidding process. offers. And we believe we made the right decision."
According to Mr. Kyari, the decision was intended to achieve three main objectives.
He said, "First, to make sure the government security agencies do their part, we have our navy, the army and they're doing a great job of containing that, but as you do, that sustenance is paramount and so we have also decided that we need private contractors to manage the right of way and also operate outside of the right of way so that they can also join us in managing the community members.
>"We don't have access to that and therefore we have put in place a framework where contractors have been selected through a tendering process for people who can do it, everyone can't do it and Tompolo is just mentioned, we are dealing with legal persons.
"He may have interests in the company, we don't deal with Tompolo, but we know he has interests in this company.
READ ALSO: Court dismisses charges against Tompolo and others“We know that we are hiring everyone else who can help us in this situation. This has happened many times over time and the result has been that it has been contained in a process like this and we believe we are making the right decision,” Mr. Kyari said.
Okowa speaksIn a statement signed by his chief press secretary, Olisa Ifeajika, on Tuesday, Delta State Governor and People's Democratic Party Vice Presidential candidate, Ifeanyi Okowa, praised the Nigerian government for having awarded the contract to a company owned by Tompolo.
The award, he said, indicated that the government had listened to him on how to review contracts to monitor oil facilities and integrate oil communities to check on rising cases of theft of oil, an idea he suggested when a federal government delegation on oil-theft issues recently visited him in Asaba.
He said the state was pleased to learn that just days after the visit, the federal government listened to Mr. Okowa's advice and awarded the surveillance contract to Tompolo.
He noted that giving jobs to people in the Niger Delta would give them a sense of belonging and help reduce the growing incidence of oil theft with its concomitant effect on the country's economy.
Mr. Okowa said it was high time that host communities, who bear the severe consequences of oil exploration and exploitation in the region, were seen as partners in the oil production process.
>According to him, awarding monitoring contracts to natives was the way to go because they know the terrain well and would do their best to guard the oil installations.
"Our governor's warning was the...
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