N48bn pipeline surveillance contract: GANG UP AGAINST TOMPOLO

Akani Alaka

The fears of stakeholders that the battle for the N4 billion per month and N48 billion per year pipeline surveillance contract awarded by the defunct administration of President Muhammadu Buhari in August 2022 to ex-militant warlord, Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo will be fierce with debilitating consequences gained further currency of Sunday.
The contract which was awarded to the Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited, TSSNL, owned by Tompolo, the leader of the defunct Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, MEND had been due for renewal since August.
Sources in NNPCL said that the process of renewal of the contract is ongoing. However, the recent award of ‘juicy’ rehabilitation contracts for the nation’s pipelines to four companies “owned by northerners and without due process,” with Tompolo’s contract not included has resulted in agitations among youths in the region.
The attempt by NNPCL to douse tension with a statement detailing the process of awarding the contract as well as ownership of the companies has not succeeded in dousing tension.
The NNPCL had said the contracts for the rehabilitation of the pipelines were awarded to enhance their integrity and functionality for efficient transportation of crude oil to refineries and the distribution of its products across the country.

Gang Up In Rivers

Adding to the tension is what seemed to be the solidification of the gang up against Tompolo by his colleagues in the Niger Delta militancy movement for the N48 billion yearly contract as was revealed on Sunday.
The ex-agitators who have been at the forefront of the call that the N48 billion contract should be broken up and that Tompolo should not be saddled with the responsibility of protecting pipelines beyond his Delta home state met last Saturday at the Okochiri Palace King Michael Ateke Tom, Okrika Local Government area of Rivers State.
They reportedly discussed how to help President Bola Tinubu’s administration to combat oil theft to improve the country’s revenue.
However, sources said the NNPCL pipeline surveillance contract was a major point of discussion at the meeting. The militant leaders had called for decentralization of the contract.
Those at the meeting convened by AtekeTom were Alhaji Asari Dokubo, Leader of Niger Delta Peoples Volunteer Force, NDVF, who has been flaunting his closeness to Tinubu, Chief Ajube Bibopiri (Gen. Shoot-at-sight), and Victor Ben Ebikabowei (Gen Boyloaf).
The ex-agitators were leaders of the militant movements in the Niger Delta before they embraced the Federal Government’s amnesty programme under the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Ardua administration.
Boyloaf was credited with leading the attack on Royal Dutch Shell’s Bonga Oilfield, an action which resulted in the loss of 10 per cent of Nigeria’s daily oil production among others. Dokubo was the leader of the Niger Delta Peoples Volunteer Force, NDVF, which controlled some parts of the three kalabari speaking local government areas of Rivers State while Ateke Tom was in charge of the Ogu-Bolo with many loyal commanders who also held reasonable influence in some parts of Port Harcourt City local government areas.

Contract Not Fit For One Man

Dokubo and some of the militants have before now been vociferous about the need to decentralise the contract.
They have the support of some of the stakeholders in the region. For instance, Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State had criticised the award of the pipeline surveillance contract to just “one man” when a Federal Government delegation on the security of oil and gas assets visited him at the Government House, Port Harcourt recently.
Fubara told the delegation led by the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu that “Security of pipeline should not be given to one man or one person. How can someone from Kalabari be controlling the pipeline in Ogoni? “There is no way it will work. We must look at all the key people in the various communities.

Enemies of Nigeria At Work

However, a group which described itself as Niger Delta Indigenous Movement For Radical Change had asked President Tinubu to ignore such calls.
The group, in a statement signed by its President, Nelly Emma, Secretary, John Sailor and spokesperson, Stanley Mukoro, described those calling for the cancellation of the contract as the enemies of the nation.
“These mischief makers and enemies of the nation have done everything possible to ensure that the pipeline surveillance contract awarded to Tompolo is never renewed.
“We want to let the President and the whole world know that Tompolo means well for our nation and those kicking against the renewal of his pipeline surveillance contract are out to frustrate the efforts of a selfless man who is opposed to the selfish interests of a few as against the general interests of the nation and the people,” they stated.
It noted that because of Tompolo’s surveillance, oil production has gone up, resulting in increased revenue for the Federal Government.
“Let it be known, Mr President, that some of these agitators and faceless stakeholders are being sponsored by the oil bunkerers and hiding under the cover of the APC.

Tompolo On Media Blitzkrieg To Retain Contract

It was gathered that both pro and anti-N48 billion contract forces are piling pressure and utilising all the access they can get to the President to convince him to do their bidding.
On his part, Tompolo had begun courting the President with a series of newspaper adverts congratulating him on his election since 29 May.
The militant warlord has also been running commercials on major television networks to disseminate how he had through the contract helped boost oil production and consequently, the government’s revenue in a move signifying his determination to retain the contract.
Stakeholders in the industry said through the activities of his company against oil thieves, Tompolo had in one year helped raise Nigeria’s oil production from less than one million to about 1.7m per day.
Some sources also told this newspaper that Tompolo’s contract has been renewed for three years as the government is anxious to drive up oil production to increase its revenue.
But until there is a formal announcement, the agitations for a piece of the N48 billion pie will continue.