FG renews multi-million dollar pipeline surveillance contract with ex-militant leader

The Federal Government has renewed a multi-million dollar pipeline surveillance contract to a former militant leader and Commander of the defunct Movement for Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND), Government Ekpemupolo, aka Tompolo.

It was gathered that the government and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Limited signed the deal with Tompolo to end illegal bunkering, illegal refining and other forms of oil theft in the Niger Delta.

A source close to Tompolo said the former MEND commander, known for his creek credibility, will monitor and oversee other surveillance contracts, contractors and their activities in the entire Niger Delta.

He said it was a similar role Tompolo played during the former administration of President Goodluck Jonathan when Diezani Alison-Madueke was the Minister of Petroleum.

“They have realised the need to bring him back because currently, the country is losing over 500,000 barrels per day to illegal bunkering”, he said.

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The source said the new deal was brokered by the Minister of State for Petroleum, Chief Timipre Sylva and some NNPC top officials including the Group Executive Director, Upstream, Adokiye Tombomelye.

He said NNPC as a new profit-making venture was determined to curb all illegal activities affecting its operations and make it run at a loss every month.

The source said Tompolo held a crucial stakeholders’ meeting in his Oporoza country home in the Gbaramatu Kingdom, Delta State on Wednesday.

A former IYC President and spokesman, Eric Omare, said the Federal Government reviewed a similar arrangement that existed during Jonathan’s era and expanded the scope of Tompolo.

He said the resort to a community-based approach remained the best way of curbing illegal bunkering and refining of oil in the region.

Omare said: “This is what many of us have been advocating – a community-based approach – because Tompolo cannot work with outsiders.

“He will work with community people and that was demonstrated in his consultative meetings with some of the stakeholders.

“Once there is the consciousness of stakeholders at the community levels that illegal bunkering is not in our interest because of its environmental consequences, 50 per cent of the problem is solved. Another aspect is to address the associated economic issues.