A civil society group, known as the Coalition for Better Nigeria, has voiced its support for the ongoing investigation by the National Assembly into the contentious ₦2.1 trillion contract for oil pipeline surveillance awarded by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).
The coalition has also called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to reassess the contract, categorizing it as unsustainable and ineffective in preventing crude oil theft.
During a press conference held in Abuja, Comrade Yahaya Garba, the spokesperson for the group, stated that the legislative inquiry represents a positive step towards ensuring transparency and accountability in the management of Nigeria's oil and gas resources.
The coalition pointed out that the contract, originally presented as a ₦4.8 billion monthly agreement, has since been disclosed as a multi-trillion-naira deal, a situation they described as unacceptable and a violation of public trust.
Furthermore, they raised concerns over the actual effectiveness of the surveillance system, highlighting recent reports of international interceptions of vessels suspected of transporting stolen Nigerian oil.
They argued that such incidents indicate that widespread oil theft continues to prevail, despite the substantial financial resources reportedly allocated for pipeline protection.
The group also emphasized that the scale of oil theft suggests potential collusion among certain individuals, insisting that the export of stolen crude oil would not have occurred if the surveillance measures were functioning properly.
The coalition urged the federal government to reevaluate and significantly reduce the expenditure on pipeline security, suggesting that local communities in oil-producing areas be directly involved in safeguarding the pipelines within their regions.
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