Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — The National Awareness Forum has accused pipeline surveillance contractors in the Niger Delta of conniving with oil barons to sabotage the nation’s economy, by aiding crude oil theft.
To this end, the group has urged NNPC Ltd to terminate the oil pipeline surveillance contracts awarded to the Pipelines Infrastructures Nigeria Limited, a company linked to Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse III, with responsibility to secure pipelines in Rivers and Imo States.
President of the group, Mr Abdul-Azeez Abdullahi and Publicity Secretary, Mr. Ikechukwu Ngozi, in a statement said the call was in reaction to the alarm raised by the NNPC Ltd that 112 cases of crude oil theft were recorded between December 23rd and 29th, 2023.
Abdullahi and Ngozi claimed that the scenes of the 112 oil theft points were under the contractual jurisdiction and surveillance of Pipelines Infrastructures Nigeria Limited, PINL in Rivers and Imo states.
They accused the pipeline surveillance firm of failing to deliver in view of the 112 oil theft cases recorded by NNPC Ltd in one week and urged the Presidency to prevail on the management of NNPCL to revoke the the contract for breach of agreement.
The group alleged that the Trans-Forcados pipelines in Delta State suffered the same fate of incessant attacks by oil thieves when it was under the protection of PINL, until it was given to another private security company to manage.
The statement said, “There is no wisdom in NNPCL retaining the Pipelines Infrastructures Nigeria Limited for surveillance contracts again because the private security provider has failed the country. The large chunk of the recent 112 cases of oil theft reported by NNPCL in the Niger Delta and South-East took place in the areas under the surveillance of PINL.
“That was how the Trans-Forcados pipelines in Delta state was being constantly and regularly vandalised with crude oil being steadily stolen from it when it was under the guidance of the Pipelines Infrastructures Nigeria Limited. The Trans-Forcados has since being at peace after it was taken away from PINL and given to another private security company to manage.
“All surveillance contracts be taken away from PINL for failure to deliver. The company is just pocketing huge billions of naira annually for doing nothing while the nation’s economy bleeds.
“We call on the Presidency to do the needful because those collaborating with the illicit oil barons to steal the nation’s oil wealth cannot still be patronised to watch over the same installations and facilities they are sabotaging.”
