Revoke pipeline monitoring contract, declare state of emergency on NNPC

From Sola Ojo, Kaduna

Following the controversial N4 billion a month pipeline monitoring contract awarded to Mr. Government Ekpemupolo (Tompolo) and revelations from the Comptroller General of Nigerian Customs and Chief of Naval Staff on the state of subsidies and claims of stolen crude, the Concerned Northern Forum on Sunday called on President Muhammadu Buhari to declare a state of emergency at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

The forum, together with other civil society groups in the region, during a press briefing titled “State of the Nation” held at the popular Arewa House, Kaduna, specifically called for the termination of the oversight contract awarded to Tompolo and at the same time called on the national assembly to make the ongoing grant probing a public matter.

Forum President Ibrahim Bature admitted that the region is bleeding because of the activities of terrorists who include but are not limited to Islamic State in West Africa (ISWAP), Boko Haram, bandits, clashes between farmers and herders, quickly adding that the government’s efforts seem to be yielding no results as “terrorists continue to terrorize our communities on a daily basis.”

According to Bature, while crude oil can be bought on the market, life is sacrosanct and can only be given by God, wondering why the government “which we overwhelmingly voted for would pay more attention to the theft of crude oil than to our lives and property”.

He said: “Navy Chief of Staff Vice Admiral Gambo criticized the outrageous and unrealistic figure presented as the volume of oil stolen per day. NNPC LTD and the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources have estimated that between 200,000 and 400,000 barrels of crude are stolen per day.

“By implication, if 400,000 barrels are flown per day, which equals 63.2 million liters, that means a five-ton barge will make 12,640 trips per day, which is impossible no matter how fast speed counts. given the increased presence of security officers in the maritime environment, as well as the deluge of surviving operations from Dakar Da Barawo by the Nigerian Navy.

“Again, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), through its Comptroller General, has also questioned claims by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited that Nigerians consume ’60 million liters of gasoline per day.

He went further by asking the NNPC why they release 98 million liters into the market daily, when our daily consumption is set at 60 million liters? Nigerians are still waiting for the response. More than 500 trucks with a carrying capacity of 70,000 liters are expected to transport the product daily out of Nigeria as contraband content.

“From the above, the implication of the NNPCL’s misrepresentations is that more than 2,000 trucks could be working daily in Nigeria to steal imported crude oil or refined fuel undetected by our satellite system, under watchful eyes. from NIGCOMSAT.

“We wish to ask Mr. President to critically consider the position of Nigerian Customs and Nigerian Navy on the outrageous allegations of oil and gas theft by NNPC. The two cannot be wrong then that the NNPC is right, therefore, heavy penalties should be imposed on the management of the company.

2) Our group inferred that the subsidy scheme which has regularly prevented the NNPC from contributing revenue to the Federation account for sharing at FAAC meetings is the greatest crime perpetrated against Nigerians which has denied them the infrastructure development, therefore, FG should consider ending the subsidy.

“We urge the federal government to channel the 48 billion naira that Tompolo will earn each year to meet the development and environmental needs of the people of the Niger Delta rather than sharing these funds for the boys.

“We call on the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency in the NNPCLTD by appointing military administrators to oversee the affairs of the company pending the completion of the investigation into the subsidy scheme which is costing the country billions of naira per year,” he said. .