The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited has defended the pipeline surveillance contract given to militant leader, Government Ekpemupolo, better known as Tompolo.
There has been controversy since news broke that Tompolo, who was declared wanted in the early days of the Buhari administration, had been given contracts worth billions.
But speaking at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Tuesday, Malam Mele Kyari, Chief Executive Officer of NNPC, said he said the Federal Government took the right decision to hire private contractors to man its oil pipeline network nationwide.
Kyari said although the government was not dealing directly with the former warlord, it had signed a contract with a company in which Tompolo has interests.
He said though the security agencies were doing their part, end-to-end pipeline surveillance would require the involvement of private entities and community stakeholders.
He said, “We need private contractors to man the right of way to these pipelines. So, we put up a framework for contractors to come and bid and they were selected through a tender process. And we believe we made the right decision.”
He said churches, mosques, security agencies as well as communities where pipelines passed through were involved in pipeline vandalism and theft of petroleum products.
The NNPC CEO, who said the company had discovered that stolen products were warehoused in churches and mosques with the knowledge of all members of the society where the incidents occurred, added that the entire network of pipelines for petroleum products distribution in the country had been shut down as a result of the activities of vandals.
He said, “As you may also be aware because of the very unfortunate acts of vandals along our major pipelines from Atlas Cove all the to Ibadan, and all others connecting all the 37 depots that we have across the country. You know, none of them can take delivery of products today.
“And the reason is very simple. For some of the lines, for instance, from Warri to Benin, we haven’t operated that line for 15 years. Every molecule of product that we put get lost. And of course you remember the sad incident of the fire incident very close to Warri, close to Sapele that killed so many people.
“So, we had to shut it down and as we speak, ladies and gentlemen, the level of losses that we have on our product pipeline, and I’m sure you may have seen it and I’ll invite you at the right time so we can take a look at it jointly.
“You remember that Lagos area. When a fire outbreak happened in one of our pipelines, we discovered that some of the pipelines were actually connected to individuals homes. And not only that, and with all sensitivity to our religious believes, you know, some of the pipelines and some of the products that we found, are actually in churches and in mosques.
“That means that everybody is involved. There is no way you will take products, bring in trucks in populated neighborhoods, load it and leave without everybody else knowing about it. That everybody includes members of the community, members of the religious leadership and also and most likely government officials of all natures, including security agencies personnel. They are everywhere. And I’ve seen this even in the Niger Delta. There’s no way you would deliver a volume and lose up to 30 percent and you will continue to put that products in this line.”
Kyari said beyond the issue of vandalism, the pipelines have also aged necessitating their shut down.
Kyari, however, said that the company had decided to come up with a new pipeline management system that will enable them to be put to use for distribution of products in the country.
He said government was going after the oil thieves including elite among them while the operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was following the cash.
“We will deal with them and take them out,” he said.
