By Temidayo Akinsuyi

LAGOS-Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Adams on Friday said the issue of crude oil theft in the country would have been significantly reduced if the Federal government had not terminated the pipeline sur­veillance contract it had with the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) and some security outfits.

He also said efforts by the OPC to secure the pipelines were frustrated by officials of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) who were unhappy that their agents were being prevented from stealing oil and vandalising pipelines.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Saturday INDE­PENDENT, Adams also blamed Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the Minister of Information for us­ing propaganda to rubbish the genuine efforts of the OPC to secure the pipelines.

According to him, Lai Mo­hammed claimed that the OPC received N12 billion to secure the pipelines, whereas it was just a N1.9 billion contract.

In his words “Presently, 30 percent of our oil are being stolen by the cabals. In 2015, we were given a contract by the fed­eral government which was ini­tiated by the NNPC. They called me to come and get the contract for the surveillance security of the pipelines, I never lobbied for it.

“NNPC agreed that the or­ganisation that can prevent their oil from being stolen and also secure their facilities is the OPC. They then shared the con­tract between me and Dr. Fred­erick Fasehun. We were given less than N2billion for the job. Out of the N1.9b that we got; we paid workers N1.6billion within three months.

“They gave us the standards of NNPC which we must use in paying our workers and they monitor our invoices every month. Despite the fact that we did a great job in securing the pipelines, some Yoruba people and politicians frustrated our ef­forts. The North and Niger Delta did not sabotage our efforts, it is our people.”

Speaking on the challenges faced by the OPC then in carry­ing out its job, he said “Let me tell you exactly what happened then. Some of the NNPC officials were unhappy with our opera­tions then because we didn’t allow their agents who usually steal the oil to operate. Within one month, we apprehended over 80 vandals".

“About 60 or 70 vehicles were parked at Mosimi, which is a virgin land for the security job. However, the NNPC officials then said we shouldn’t bring vehicles to their station again; that they won’t allow us to park our vehicles there. So, we have a case that people that contracted us to help them fight vandals were even against our operation.

“I was not Aare Ona Kakan­fo then. When we arrested a suspect and tried to bring it to these NNPC officials, they called me and said ‘Otunba, we don’t want them, don’t bring them to us’. We were shocked. There was a time we arrested a kingpin and our boys were bringing them to Mosimi. About seven policemen waylaid them, shot the OPC members and freed the suspects. We lost a member in the process.

“We were facing the vandals, risking our lives to secure the pipelines, yet the politicians were sponsoring a lot of propa­ganda against us. Lai Moham­med even lied that the contract given to OPC was N12 billion when it was just N1.9 billion. The contract was given to about six companies but Lai claimed it was only the company managed by OPC that got the N12 billion.

“All he wanted was that the Yoruba person should not be empowered. Do you know that about 5,000 persons got empowered with that pipeline contract? We have about 5,000 workers and they were earning N120,000 monthly. Some earned N70,000 depending on their role. We still give allowances to those who succeeded in apprehending bandits in order to encourage them.

“So, when we are talking about restructuring, Nigerian leaders know the drug that will cure their ailment but they re­fuse to make use of it because of the selfish interests of few indi­viduals in this country.”

The Federal government recently awarded a N4 billion pipelines surveillance contract to a private security outfit owned by a former Niger Delta agitator, Government Ekpemupolo also known as Tompolo.

While justifying the contract to Tompolo, Group Chief Exec­utive Officer of NNPC Limited, Mallam Mele Kyari said Nigeria loses about $1.9 billion monthly to the activities of oil vandals.

Also, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Timi­pre Sylva said that the country loses 400,000 barrels of crude daily via oil theft.

On his part, Adams also hailed the award of contract to Tompolo saying it will help pre­vent oil theft and increase the revenue made by the NNPC.

“The Federal government just awarded the same contract to Tompolo now at the sum of N4 billion, how many people are antagonising him in the Niger Delta? N4billion every month; that is N48billion in a year. It is more than the allocation given to Ekiti State.

“It is good because it will save our crude oil from being stolen and facilities from being van­dalised. When that happens, the money generated by the NNPC will be high.”

https://independent.ng/how-nnpc-officials-police-frustrate-efforts-to-secure-pipelines-prevent-oil-theft-gani-adams/

Interesting

Are you sure?...

Because, how do they keep frustrating the thieves while our export quantity keep reducing?

We all know the atrocities been committed by the government,security agencies and the host communities,,imagine 400,000 barrels been stolen without any traces despite the government claimed of paying huge sum of money for surveillance to private company to protect the nation's resources

NNPC officials and the security agents are the main criminals as far as oil theft is concerned.
There's no way to steal the oil without their collaborations

Yoruba.

Yoruba would have been a very great nation considering our wealth in human resources...intelligence and what have you.

But alas, it is this backstabbing attitude that keep dragging us backwards. I was telling a group of people yesterday that, If yoruba will lose 2023 presidential election (in the person of Tinubu), he will first lose heavily in southwest- not just Lagos.

Housas love theirs
Igbos love theirs
We simply pay lip services to ourselves...and the major cause is envy. Forgetting the adage that says, if you sabotage your friends efforts to becoming king, the fellow too will not be referred to as a friend of King. So unfortunate.

They're all accomplice. If you want to get them don't go to the field go to all these newly developing sites in Ph they are all the ones buying and developing them rapidly.

Every sector is corrupt in Nigeria

We already know. Iba Gani Adams has said it all. The federal government is only chasing shadows. They have a million questions to answer. I don't even know where the pipelines pass through , talkless of knowing where the vessels load crude from.

Nigerians shouted during the covid-19 lockfown after discovering a vessel of crude sold to China during the time everyone was locked inside their homes worldwide, which was traced to Malami but denied it. The case was swept under the carpet. I can't wait for 2023 to get here. We'd punish this evil party with our pvcs for their inept rule I bought a dollar for 708 naira yesterday

The government guys are the oil thieves.

Hmmn

I believe this man 100 percent.

Know someone who's into bunkering and the settlements these guys receive, especially the army (I'm surprised he didn't mention the army), is enough to want to ensure that oil theft persists forever.

Its the main reason buhari wants to hand it over to the vp so that at the end...

Nigeria na scam. Nor be the original country name this

Y’all are thieves

Hmmmmm
Adams seems to be telling or reminding the govt that he can play Tompolo's role too.

Despite the fact that we did a great job in securing the pipelines, some Yoruba people and politicians frustrated our ef­forts. The North and Niger Delta did not sabotage our efforts, it is our people.”

These people!... Know them and who they are then have peace

Oil thieves are wearing uniform too..

Lol.