Groups task NNPCL on alleged multi- billion- naira pipeline contracts

SOME non- governmental organisations ( NGOS), at the weekend, decried Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited’s ( NNPCL) supposed inability to make available information on pipeline rehabilitation contracts to Macready Oil and Gas Services Limited two years ago.

Divine Era Development and Social Rights Initiative ( DEDASRI), with its partner, Media Awareness Advocacy Foundation ( MAWA- Foundation), stated that the information sought followed its discovery that over two years after the multi- billion Naira contracts were awarded, nothing had reportedly been on the ground.

The NGOS stated that following investigations, they had on January 9 this year, through their lawyer, Samuel Ogala, requested NNPCL to provide them with details of the contracts for maintenance of Warri- Kaduna crude oil pipeline 604km; Kaduna – Kano products pipeline 224.3km; KadunaJos products pipeline 116.4km; Kaduna- Suleja products pipeline 170.8km; Kaduna depot, Kano depot, Jos depot and Suleja depot.

Also requested by the organizations in their letter, brought under the Freedom of Information ( FOI) Act, were locations of contracts, amounts, releases and completion dates.

Responding, NNPCL through its lawyer, Esther Jesudunmo Longe, stated that the passage of the Petroleum Industry Act ( PIA) 2021 made it a private company, and was no longer under any obligation to respond to FOI requests.

The firm added that it is not a “financial institution or bank, and therefore, not in possession of bank statement of payments made to Macready Oil and Gas Service Company Limited.”

In her remarks, the Executive Director of DEDASRI, Ogechukwu Enwelum, insisted that it negates the commitment of NNPCL to contract transparency and accountability as a supporting company to Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative ( EITI) implementation in Nigeria.

She added that the request was to foster probity in the extractive sector as the country’s major source of revenue.