National Awareness Forum (NAF) has asked the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to halt the oil pipelines surveillance contracts awarded to the Pipelines Infrastructures Nigeria Limited (PINL).
The PINL operated by the Itsekiri monarch, the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse III, was saddled by the NPPCL to watch over oil pipelines and installations in some parts of Niger Delta and South-East. The awarded contract was valued at unspecified billions of naira annually.
According to NAF, in a statement signed by its President, Alhaji Abdul-Azeez Abdullahi and Publicity Secretary, Mr. Ikechukwu Ngozi, on Monday in Abuja, said its statement was in reaction to the alarm raised by the management of NNPCL that 112 cases of crude oil theft were recorded between December 23rd and 29th, 2023.
The group accused the management and officials of PINL of conniving with unscrupulous oil barons to sabotage the nation’s economy, adding that the private security outfit in collaboration with criminals was behind the crude oil theft.
NAF said PINL was not dutifully and painstakingly executing the contracts, noting that while other private security outfits hired men to keep the vigil over the pipelines, the PINL abandoned its responsibility as enshrined in the contracts, for pecuniary gains.
According to the group, “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 contract 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 patronized to watch over the same installations and facilities they are sabotaging,” they added.
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