The clarification came amid reports that NNPC Limited awarded a N48bn pipeline surveillance contract to Tompolo.

The Nigerian government on Tuesday described its award of multi-billion naira pipeline surveillance contract to a former leader of the Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta, Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, as the ‘right decision’.

Speaking at the 49th session of the state house briefing at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Tuesday, Mele Kyari, the chief executive officer of Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, said the decision was necessitated by the need for Nigeria to hire private contractors to man its oil pipeline network nationwide due to massive oil theft.

Mr Kyari argued that it was not the first time that individuals within the Niger Delta region were awarded contracts for pipeline surveillance.

The clarification came amid reports that NNPC Limited had awarded a pipeline surveillance contract to Tompolo.

The surveillance contract is reportedly worth N48 billion per year (N4 billion per month), according to a report by The Nation.

Several militant groups in the region are reportedly angry with the federal government for leaving them out of the juicy contract, threatening to make the surveillance contract unworkable.

On Tuesday, Mr Kyari said that the federal government is not dealing directly with Tompolo but a private contractors company he has interests in.

“The security agencies are doing their part, end-to-end pipeline surveillance would require the involvement of private entities and community stakeholders,” Mr Kyari 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.”

According to Mr Kyari, the decision was aimed at achieving three broad objectives.

He said: “First, to ensure the government’s security agencies play their part, we have our Navy, the Army and they are doing an excellent job of containing this, but as you do this sustenance is everything and therefore we also decided that we need private contractors to man the right of way and also operate outside the right of way so that they can also join us to manage members of the community.

“We don’t have access to that and therefore, we put up a framework where contractors were selected through a tender process for people who can do it, not everyone can do it and Tompolo is just mentioned, we’re dealing with corporate entities.

“He may have interest in the company, we’re not dealing with Tompolo, but we know that he has interests.

“We know that we’re engaging all other individuals who will be of help to us in this situation. This has happened severally over time and the result was that it was contained under a process like this and we believe that we are taking the right decision,” Mr Kyari said

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https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/551584-why-we-awarded-multi-billion-naira-pipeline-protection-contract-to-tompolo-nnpc.html?fbclid=IwAR1kz9mCtXzLw3yMohL2FZby582w02Sfx_j8l4Cd2HY1ihkMXefOGF-Bchw#l7h6l1jy9tgtnwddtgd

Buhari truly has nothing to offer.. he just occupied space for the past 7 years. And he was a soldier!? Now bandits are being empowered to protect our territories..what a shame! Clueless pro max

Wow

One of the best decision NNPC ever made in a long while.
You can’t be losing 95% crude to pilfering and not engage those who know the terrain to stop this magnitude of pilfering.

That's what happens in a broken and dysfunctional country where non state actors hold the government to ransom

In others words community policing has come to stay

I thought Buhari was a military Man

Very bad precedent..

That's how Tinubu will award top govt contracts to MC Oluomo.

Pay the Nigeria army and navy same amount as tompolo and there will be no theft ever again

Jonathan hired Tompolo, now Buhari is hiring Tompolo

It's obvious nobody knows the creek like the Niger deltans

This explanation holds no water

Something is fishy in the contract awarded to tompolo, because this was the same person the government label as a wanted man, all of a sudden he is been awarded contract to protect pipeline. Naija which way.

litigator:
One of the best decision NNPC ever made in a long while.
You can’t be losing 95% crude to pilfering and not engage those who know the terrain to stop this magnitude of pilfering.

But they were against Goodluck Jonathan for doing that and even declared Tompolo wanted when they took over power from Jonathan!

U no need any Shalaye...


So rest...

litigator:
.


https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/551584-why-we-awarded-multi-billion-naira-pipeline-protection-contract-to-tompolo-nnpc.html?fbclid=IwAR1kz9mCtXzLw3yMohL2FZby582w02Sfx_j8l4Cd2HY1ihkMXefOGF-Bchw#l7h6l1jy9tgtnwddtgd

Protecting the pipelines to moribund refinaries . Hopeless at it peak

Scam

Now I believe northerner are actually not intelligent......or they are more corrupt than I thought

nothing goes for nothing.....

It’s a Case of Giving a Known Thief Your Valuable to Keep for you,
Tompolo is a Known Militant and a Oil Bunkering Thief , he is in best Position to Secure what he Steals

I could remember this same APC criticizing GEJ for hiring Tompolo to secure pipelines.
They even went ahead to declare him wanted upon assumption of power.
Now they are awarding the same contract to Tompolo.

I don't know what is giving APC the moral to continue campaigning for 2023.
Are Nigerians this daft and forgetful??

Clueless govt..

michlins:
Pay the Nigeria army and navy same amount as tompolo and there will be no theft ever again

Both the army and Navy are into oil bunkering

This is no wonder why banditry is on the rise. Hold the Government to ransom and cash out daily. I thought they were going to deny it, but admitting publicly to this nonsense is the height of it.

Did they think GEJ was stupid to have engaged him in the past.


Wasted 7yrs chasing tompolo. Only to wake up suddenly and realized the one you are chasing is the gate keeper

One day, government will award securing North East to ISWAP... Well, Tompolo is a local man so he must protect his territory. It is even better than for them to share the money in Abuja alone. So Tompolo don't forget your comrades in the trenches.