The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy, CISLAC, has questioned the Nigerian National Petroleum Company, NNPC over its decision to award a pipeline surveillance contract to ex-militant, Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo.
DAILY NIGERIAN reports that NNPC had in August awarded a contract worth N48billion, annually to the ex-militant.
Defending its position after the development had generated outrage across the country, the Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Mele Kyari, said the move followed an urgent need to involve private entities and community stakeholders.
Reacting, the CISLAC, in a statement signed by its Executive Director, Auwal Musa-Rafsanjani, expressed reservations over the impact of the NNPC decision on good governance and the fight against corruption in the country.
Mr Rafsanjani also wondered why Mt Tompolo would be benefiting from such a humongous contract when he is still on the wanted list of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
The statement reads, “In February 2016, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission declared Mr. Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo the beneficiary of the purported contract, as a wanted person as is still reflected as such on their website.
“And here another agency acting on behalf of the same government had not only found him but went ahead to issue him with a huge contract worth such a fortune. So how are we really faring in the supposedly anti-corruption war in Nigeria?
“What is the value of the investments and allocations made from the national treasury to the numerous security paraphernalia in Nigeria if an ex-militant is seen to be more competent to deliver on security issues than the entire armed forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria?
“Who oversighted the procurement process of this award? Were there bids and what process led to his emergence on this award or is our bureau of public procurement also an incompetent institution that couldn’t deliver on a free and equitable process?
“On the other hand, Doesn’t the law have clear stipulations on contract awards in Nigeria?
“On August 26 2022, it was published that a rival group came up to threaten the feasibility of the execution of the contract for the reasons of lack of consultation before choosing who the government choose for the job and thereby threating the propensity to deliver on the expected result as anticipated by Mr. Kyari in his statement.
“Why is it still unclear on the status of NNPCltd? Is it still an agency of government given a contract on behalf of the government or a commercial entity that should be running their cost based on performance and have their operation approved by the governing board of that establishment?”
The group, therefore, called on the Federal Government to “stop paying lip service to security issues and strategically work the numerous outfits within the security architecture in the country and proffer a lasting solution to the problem as these makeshift arrangements will only breed future challenges to the system”.
“We call on the government of Nigeria through this present administration to try and show some respect to the commitments that brought them to power – the fight against corruption – this has not fared any well in the long run as seen till now by this administration.
“It is never late to make some impact within the short period remaining for this administration or they can desist from making more dangerous mistakes that will further plunge the country into more danger,” Mr Rafsanjani added.
