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Niger Delta Militants

A lot of controversies have since trailed the award of contracts by the Federal Government to ex-militant leaders  to protect oil pipeline facilities in the Niger Delta region.

Without clear and concrete position of the government on the issue, the controversy might linger for some time, sources have it that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) awarded contracts worth whooping sum of N5.6Billion to some former Niger-Delta militants to guard the oil pipe-lines within the region.

Wall street Journal (WSJ) was the first to publish the report of the security contract, which gave the break-down as follows;

+ Mr. Government Ekpumopolo a.k.a Tompolo - N3.6 Billion
+ Mr. Ateke Tom - N560 Million
+ Alhaji Asari Dokubo - 1.44 Billion
+ Mr. Ebikabowei Victor Ben a.k.a Boyloaf - N560 Million

Government has further been revealed, had awarded a contract through Nigerian Maritime and Safety Agency, (NIMASA) which was approved by the federal executive council (FEC) on the 5th of January 2012.


Under this new contract arrangement Messrs Global West Vessel Specialist Nigeria (GWVSL) Tompolo's company was granted a 10-year concession agreement, which is renewable for a two term of five years.

What must have fueled the controversy over this pipeline security contract is not necessarily the rational of the venture but, we think the lack of transparency with which it was done, as ordinarily there's no issue with Nigerians being awarded contracts and certainly nobody says former militants should be excluded from doing business with the government.

What was worrisome about it was that the president was said to have forwarded a bill to the National Assembly, urging it to replace an earlier one submitted by his late predecessor President Yar Adua which was intended to create a coastal guard, comprising all security agencies, to man the country's maritime domain.

The only reasonable explanation the government could about this was that since the exercise began crude oil production has jumped from1.8mbpd to 2.6mbpd as quoted by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affiars, Dr. Doyin Okupe.

However the idea of pursuing a community based initiative into deals with pipelines vandalisation in the Niger Delta region is one that has been sanctioned and well debated by stakeholders in the petroleum sector, it was also learned that major oil companies were already engaging some communities in the protection of pipelines and it appeared there was no better way no better way than to secure the pipelines than to employ those who inhabit the community where the facility is been built.

(Edited by: Blueblock)