Scoop: Anxiety heightens in Niger Delta over alleged plan by FG to split pipeline surveillance contract

There is growing anxiety amongst the major pipeline surveillance companies owned by indigenous contractors in the Niger Delta, as speculations continue to mount that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, through the new management of Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, may spilt the multi-billion-naira pipeline surveillance job, as a result of underperformance, alleged acts of terrorism, purported land grabbing and accusations of involvement in large-scale illegal oil bunkering.

Dig-Deep by Fresh Angle International, in the last three years, revealed that the two major indigenous pipeline security firms, are Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited, PINL and Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited, while there are other contractors the NNPCL, under the leadership of Mele Kolo Kyari, sublet the surveillance jobs to.

On resumption of Office, the new Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, Bashir Ojulari, undertook comprehensive review of the existing pipeline surveillance contracts and speculations were rife that the new NNPCL czar was not impressed with the performance of the major contracting firms. It was unclear as at the time of this report if outcome of the contract review carried out by Bashir Ojulari, necessitated the recent scaling-up of the clampdown of crude oil thieves by the Nigerian Military.

Indications of possible spilt of the pipeline surveillance contract by the Federal Government, was dropped by popular Podcaster, Jude Gbaboyor, when he stated in one of his recent viral podcasts on Facebook that the Federal Government would split the pipeline surveillance contract.

Jude Gbaboyor, went on to caution the Federal Government against awarding fresh pipeline surveillance contract to Tantita Security Services in Bayelsa State, saying there are competent indigenous Bayelsans ready to execute the contract and deliver optimally.

Some oil and gas observers, have linked the power-play, the intense media crossfire in the aftermath of the controversial ward delineation report for Warri Federal Constituency released by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC and last week media attacks on Wife of the President, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, to the desperation to secure sustenance of the pipeline surveillance contract.

A statement released Monday July 21, which was credited to a certain Security expert and Niger Delta advocate, Dr. Johnson Agagbo, calling on President Bola Tinubu, the National Security Adviser, and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL to renew and expand the pipeline surveillance contract awarded to Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited and another statement by a Niger Delta group, the Buckingham Palace Group, condemning recent calls by some ex-Niger Delta agitators for the cancellation of the pipeline surveillance contract awarded to Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited, PINL, point to the increasing power tussle between the two major pipeline surveillance contractors.

Whilst Agagbo was quoted in syndicated media reports to have said the surveillance deal has significantly boosted oil production, curbed crude theft, and created jobs across the Niger Delta, referencing figures from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, the Buckingham Palace Group, dismissed allegations by the “Aggressive Niger Delta Freedom Fighters Forum” that community youths were being marginalized and that the Olu of Warri, His Majesty, Ogiame Atuwatse III, was involved in bunkering activities.

The agitators, had circulated a statement on social media, urging the Presidency to terminate the legally awarded surveillance contract to PINL over these allegations.

In the statement reportedly signed by Buckingham Palace Group’s Public Relations Officer, Kenny Amgbare, and Vice President, Festus Ederekumor, the group described the claims as “baseless, wild, weightless and inflammatory”, even as Agagbo, reportedly warned against attempts to end Tantita’s contract, calling such moves “divisive” and a threat to national security.

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