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abujagirl
Guest
The Presidency has denied awarding pipeline protection contracts to former Niger Delta militants. Speaking on behalf of the Presidency, Kingsley Kuku, Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on Niger Delta, said that the allegation was raised by desperate politicians who sought to incite members of public against the amnesty programme.
Kuku said,"As I speak to you today, I am not aware that any ex-agitator enrolled in the Amnesty Programme is currently a beneficiary of pipeline protection contract as being supervised by the NNPC.
"I must also clarify that even the brief period this deal with the NNPC and a number of the ex-agitators lasted, the Amnesty Office was not in any way involved and we cannot speak about the details of what led to the suspension of these collaborators.
Kuku said that it was true that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) awarded contracts to some expatriate companies which might have employed indigenes in the prosecution of the contracts, but denied that the former militants were direct beneficiaries.
For instance, the Special Advice said the contract coverage of Delta State was awarded to Oil Facilities Surveillance Limited and not to former militant Tompolo. In Bayelsa State, he said the contract was awarded to Bajero Limited by NNPC and not Boyloaf as alleged. He added that Adolf Nigeria Limited and not Ateke Tom or Asari Dokubo got the contract in Rivers State.
"However, the Amnesty Office is urging the NNPC and its joint venture partners to properly restructure the modalities for the implementation of the pipelines surveillance and protection contracts and gets as many ex-agitators as possible involved, Kuku added.
Kuku said,"As I speak to you today, I am not aware that any ex-agitator enrolled in the Amnesty Programme is currently a beneficiary of pipeline protection contract as being supervised by the NNPC.
"I must also clarify that even the brief period this deal with the NNPC and a number of the ex-agitators lasted, the Amnesty Office was not in any way involved and we cannot speak about the details of what led to the suspension of these collaborators.
Kuku said that it was true that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) awarded contracts to some expatriate companies which might have employed indigenes in the prosecution of the contracts, but denied that the former militants were direct beneficiaries.
For instance, the Special Advice said the contract coverage of Delta State was awarded to Oil Facilities Surveillance Limited and not to former militant Tompolo. In Bayelsa State, he said the contract was awarded to Bajero Limited by NNPC and not Boyloaf as alleged. He added that Adolf Nigeria Limited and not Ateke Tom or Asari Dokubo got the contract in Rivers State.
"However, the Amnesty Office is urging the NNPC and its joint venture partners to properly restructure the modalities for the implementation of the pipelines surveillance and protection contracts and gets as many ex-agitators as possible involved, Kuku added.