By Comfort Olayinka
The Niger Delta for Truth and Justices (NDTJ) has accused the management of the Nigeria National Petroleum Company limited ( NNPCL) of ethnic bias in the award of pipelines surveillance contracts in the oil bearing region.
The group in a protest letter signed by national president Chief Ejiroghene Mariere to the management of NNPCL in Abuja, alleged that its vice President in charge of upstream Mrs Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan was behind the deal to increase the scope of job to be awarded to Pipelines Infrastructures Nigeria limited (PINL), a company believed to be floated by the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwase 111.
The NDTJ hinged their protest on the abysmal failure of PINL in the past that led to the withdrawal of some of its contracts and given to other group of companies.
They recalled that it was the failure of PINL to protect oil facilities, especially the Trans-Forcados Pipelines and others in Delta state that led to the initial withdrawal of some its slots and subsequently re-awarded to Industrial -Wide Security.
According to them ” If the PINL was doing well, some of its jobs would not be withdrawn . There have been too much of oil theft, pipelines vandalism leading to low oil production in the areas under the surveillance of PINL.
No fewer than 112 incidents of crude oil theft in the areas under the supervision of PINL was reported last year .
They stated: ” The PINL was not performing. Oil bunkering was the order of the day, whenever it’s in charge. And now the Vice president upstream is planning to give the company more areas to cover despite the abysmal performance.
“The Vice president upstream is playing ethic politics with national resources at the detriment of national interest”. How do you reward failure with more jobs just because the vice-president of NNPCL is a subject of the owner of the company?”
They therefore wondered why a non performing company would be rewarded with a bigger jobs if not for ethic consideration .
The Vice president upstream Mrs Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan is an Itsekiri like her Warri Monarch Ogiame Atuwase 111.
The protesters therefore requested the President to wade in to halt the proposed extension and increase in the scope of contract to PINL as the move is capable of inflaming anger that may snow ball into another ethic crisis .
They recalled that the attacks on oil facilities in Rivers and Imo states where PINL was in charge and feared that such harrowing experience may reoccur if urgent steps are not taking.
According to NDTJ ” it is curious that despite the glaring evidence of poor performance, the NNPCL is considering increasing the scope of jobs to PINL
“This ethnic favouritism was what led to the Warri crisis of 2001 and 2002. This must be avoided this time around .
