Leaders of militant factions in Niger Delta and the South West are threatening NNPC over unpaid money.
In an open letter addressed to President Muhammadu Buhari, former Niger Delta militant leader, Mujahid Asari Dokubo, factional leaders of the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC), Dr. Frederick Fasehun and Otunba Gani Adams, as well as other beneficiaries of the controversial Pipeline Security and Surveillance contracts, have called on Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to pay their outstanding fees by the end of the month, or face legal action.
They claimed that they had a 3-month contract with the NNPC, from March 15 to June 15, which they delivered on but are yet to be paid. They alleged that the NNPC has refused to pay its indebtedness to them, insisting that they are demanding their entitlement and not a handout or favour.
It can be recalled that on June 15, the NNPC terminated the contract awarded under President Goodluck Jonathan to various private security firms to safeguard pipelines against vandals.
The companies are New Age Nigeria Limited (Fasehun); Donyx Global Concept (Adams); ATEF Nigeria Limited (Asari Dokubo); Galery Security Services Limited (Bibo Ajube); Bajeros Nigeria Limited (Joshua Machiever); Close Body Protection Limited (High Chief Omo) and Izon Ibe Security Limited.
"It should be known that the contractors had valid and duly signed contract agreements with the management of the NNPC to protect the pipelines for a period of three months.
Up on till now, the public perception of the NNPC Pipeline Security and Surveillance job was that former President Goodluck Jonathan gave the job to the contractors on the platter of politics. But nothing can be farther from the truth than this.
Therefore, for the purpose of clarity, it should be noted that the contract was signed between the contractors and the management of the NNPC, an agency of government, as a way of finding lasting solutions to the incessant problem of pipeline vandalisation across the country.
The terms and agreements of the contract were formulated and drafted by the management of the NNPC and was duly signed by all the parties, including the contractors and the legal department of the NNPC after several meetings and consultations.
It is also necessary for the public to know that, against widely held belief that the contract was terminated by the Federal Government, it should be noted that the contract indeed ran its course, which was a period of three months, starting from March 15, 2015 and ended June 15, 2015.
It is our belief that the contract agreement between the NNPC and the contractors is a public document and therefore can always be accessed by any member of public.
At the same time, what we are demanding from the NNPC is for it to redeem its own part of the contract agreement and should not be seen as a favour and handout to any individual."
Source: Vanguard
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