With this situation, Government Tompolo, Mujaheedin Asari-Dokubo and Chief Bipobiri Ajube, aka Gen. Shoot-At-Sight, the founder of the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), Dr. Frederick Fasehun and OPC National Coordinator, Otunba Gani Adams may have lost out of the billion dollar deal.
However, the ex-warlords have denied reports that the contracts were revoked, rather claimed that the agreement expired instead.
The contracts, which were awarded by the Goodluck Jonathan’s administration, had come under severe criticism since March this year when the job to safeguard Nigeria waterways and oil pipelines came into effect.
It will be noted that the Presidency had overruled the statutory duties of the Police and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps to defend the oil pipelines against oil theft and vandalism and handed over the duties to security companies owned by the warlords.
Former President Jonathan was accused of handling over the protection of the oil facilities to the above leaders as parts of his political patronage to attract voters from the South South and South West regions, where the militia groups held sway. Gani Adams and Frederick Fasehun were at the forefront alongside other Yoruba leaders that vigorously advocated the failed return bid of former President Jonathan.
Seven companies considered for the exercise and their areas of control are Egbe Security River One (Bayelsa); Gallery Security (Mosinmi -Ore); Close Body Protection (Edo State); Adex Energy Security (Rivers) ; Donyx Global Concept(Lagos and Ogun); Oil Facilities Surveillance-(Delta) and New Age Global Security (Mosinmi-Ibadan) all owned by the aforementioned ex-warlords.
It will be recalled that the exercise generated a lot of cries from Nigerians criticising the previous administration of courting warlords to secure bloc votes.
And in Jonathan’s defence, the National Coordinator of Odua Peoples Congress, Gani Adams retorted that President Goodluck Jonathan deserves praise from the All Progressives Congress for approving a contract for the OPC to protect pipelines across the South-West.
He noted that it would create at least 5,000 direct jobs for his boys and another 10,000 for other youths in the South-West region. Adams had said, “The allegation is that the Federal Government gave us a contract: Pipeline security. What is the security of pipeline to the OPC? We have been running this organisation without getting a dime from any government but most of the security agencies saddled with the responsibility of protecting the pipelines have failed; people were dying every day.
He said “Nigeria was losing more than N3bn everyday to the activities of the vandals and the agitation of that contract started from Dr. Fredrick Fasehun one and a half years ago and you know the bureaucracy of Nigerian ministries. It was a long process and it was just granted and it will empower nothing less than 5,000 youths from my side.”
In a swift reaction Personal Assistant to Gani Adams, Prince Segun Olalekan Akanni said “the Federal Government did not withdraw the pipeline protection contracts but rather the agreement signed by both parties expired today, (yesterday, Monday, June 15, 2015)”.Asked if there is any of hope of renewal of the contract, Prince Akanni, said “that is left to government if they want”.
The monthly sum for the contract is put at N2.4billion an amount meant for the purpose of “policing and protection oil pipelines in the South West Nigeria against vandalism.”
The Heraldng
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