The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited has defended the pipeline surveillance contract given to militant leader, Government Ekpemupolo, better known as Tompolo.
There has been controversy since news broke that Tompolo, who was declared wanted in the early days of the Buhari administration, had been given contracts worth billions.
But speaking at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Tuesday, Malam Mele Kyari, Chief Executive Officer of NNPC, said he said the Federal Government took the right decision to hire private contractors to man its oil pipeline network nationwide.
Kyari said although the government was not dealing directly with the former warlord, it had signed a contract with a company in which Tompolo has interests.
He said though the security agencies were doing their part, end-to-end pipeline surveillance would require the involvement of private entities and community stakeholders.
He said, “We need private contractors to man the right of way to these pipelines. So, we put up a framework for contractors to come and bid and they were selected through a tender process. And we believe we made the right decision.”