… Accuses NNPCL of Rating of AA Rano, other Northern Companies over Niger Delta Contractors
By Amos Odhe, Yenagoa
A former militant group, the Reformed Niger Delta Avengers (RNDA), has threatened showdown with the over the group chief executive officer (GCEO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, Mr Mele Kyari, over an alleged “secret award of pipeline maintenance contracts to some Northern Oil contractors and the exclusion of Niger Delta contractors.”
According to the RNDA, despite the fact that the multi-billion dollar pipeline maintenance and rehabilitation contract is meant to build operate and supply of refined petroleum products to the nation’s depots and transfer of crude oil from the creek to the nation’s refineries located in the Niger Delta region, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, and Mr. Mele Kyari, “secretly awarded pipeline maintenance contracts and handed over the nation crude oil pipelines to AA Rano and other Northern oil companies over Niger Deltans and deliberately denied and sidelined the people of the Niger Delta region for selfish interest.”
The former militant group, Reformed Niger Delta Avengers, in a statement issued after the emergency meeting of nine militant groups and convened by the leader of the group, self styled Major General Johnmark Ezonebi, also known as Obama, on Monday, threatened to sabotage the secretly awarded contract, explaining that the LOT 2 was awarded to AA RANO, and comprises from Escravos- Warri crude oil pipeline (60km) Warri- Benin Products pipeline (90km) Benin- Ore pipeline products (110km) wish is Escravos Terminal products crude pipeline to Warri Refinery to Benin Products pipeline to Ore depot.
According to him,” While the LOT 4 is awarded to MRS Oil Company owned Sayyu Dantata covering from Atlas Cove products crude pipeline depot satellite depot. Comprising Mosimi- Ore products pipeline (151.3km), Ibadan depot, Ilorin depot, Ibadan-Ilorin products pipeline (168.9km), Atlas Cove-Mosimi/Satellite products pipeline (72.8km) Mosimi depot, Mosimi- Ibadan products pipeline (79.1). Wish is the juiciest LOT among all, was hand over to MRS Oil Company owned by Sayyu Dantata”.
“While the LOT 1 was awarded to Oilserve Company limited owned by Engr. Dr. Emeka Okwuosa an Igbo man, comprising the Bonny- Port Harcourt crude oil pipeline (54.8km), Port Harcourt – Aba- Enugu products pipeline (210km), Port Harcourt depot, Aba depot and Enugu depot. Port Harcourt Refinery -Bonny Export Terminal products pipeline (35km) Bonny Export Terminal -Loading Jetty products pipeline (32km) to Bonny Export Terminal facilities. And it is this same man that is currently handling the (614km long AKK Gas pipeline being developed by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company from Escravos Crude line in the creek”.
He said: “The Reformed Niger Delta Avengers, with the coalition of the nine militant groups that make up the RNDA, have decided and declared to resume attacks and destruction of pipelines and other oil and gas installations along Trans-Escravos-Warri Refinery with other NNPC major delivery lines in the creek of Niger Delta if GMD NNPC Mele Kyari refuses to back down from awarding these multi billion pipeline maintenance, rehabilitation, rebuild, operate and transfer of refined petroleum products and crude oil to the nation’s refineries contract job that was secretly awarded in favour of his Northern brothers from Kano State, we may descend on crippling the economy of the nation and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Nigerians should hold Mele Kyari, AA RANO, MRS and others responsible from the aftermath of this declaration.
“We are deeply pained and have no other option than to result to hostilities that Nigeria has never experienced in the creeks of the Niger Delta region if Mele Kyari go ahead with the wicked evil plan of undermining and total neglect of Niger Delta oil companies, and we are going all out to stop the nepotic award of secret contract on the Trans Escravos- Warri Refinery to Benin Depot Pipeline maintenance, rebuild and transfer of refined petroleum products contract job in favour of AA RANO by the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Limited, by Mr Mele Kyari who is operating a cartel of oil Northerners at the NNPC towers and we assumed that Mr Mele Kyari is an enemy to the Niger Delta people.
“We will not allow this contract Kyari had awarded to AA Rano, MRS and others to see the light of the day. We have started mobilizing our strike force deadly team to strategic pipeline locations and depot to ensure nothing is carried out by AA Rano. We also strongly warn GMD NNPC Mr Mele Kyari and AA Rano not to test our long silence and patience for granted and it would be good for them to stay where they are if not they will regret going to the various sites of these project”.
Ezonebi, also known as Obama, said: “Kyari, the enemy of Niger Delta region does not mean well for the Niger Delta region and this award of contract to AA Rano is an affront on the entire Niger Delta people who naturally and morally are the owners of the crude oil in the creek of Niger Delta but he intentionally undermined us by sheer neglect of Niger Delta sons who are also in the oil and gas industry that are more experienced and have the expertise on marine and oil equipments in the downstream sector. We will not sit and watch them have their way this time around on this pipeline contract.
“Also, Kyari deliberately did not award this contract to any company from the South West origin where the President hails from, Mr. President who is the Minister of Petroleum in the country, and it will interest you to know that some prominent sons from the Yoruba Nation who are doing well in the oil industry that are suitably qualified also bided for these same pipeline maintenance rehabilitation rebuild and transfer of crude oil and supply of refined petroleum products to the nation refineries and depots but the GMD NNPC, Mr. Mele Kyari, carefully denied them these job,
“This man called GMD NNPC Mele Kyari does not deserve to be in that seat as GMD of NNPCL again any longer, because he is a man who is sectional and religious in most of his actions. He doesn’t want the unity of Nigeria and Mr. President should remove him immediately before his actions will set the nation on turmoil,” they said.
