Niger Delta Stakeholders Accuse Olu of Warri and PINL Management of Dishonesty Over Terminated Pipeline Contract

The controversy surrounding the termination of the $3.9 million monthly contract belonging to the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse III’s company, Pipelines Infrastructures Nigeria Limited (PINL), continues to escalate.

The Niger Delta Stakeholders Forum (NDSF) has accused the Itsekiri monarch and PINL’s management of dishonesty, urging them to reveal the circumstances leading to the contract’s termination.

In a statement, NDSF criticized a group purportedly supporting the Itsekiri monarch and his company, Itsekiri Pipelines Surveillance Stakeholders (IPSS), for being ignorant of the facts and accused them of being paid to defend the Olu and PINL. The NDSF dismissed the group’s call for the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPCL) management to explain the contract termination, labeling it as “laughable.”

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The NDSF emphasized that neither the Olu and his company nor the “renegade group” were owed any explanation by the NNPCL regarding the terminated contract. Chief Julius Daukoru, the leader of NDSF, criticized the Olu and PINL for not providing facts and figures of their performance in handling the Trans-forcados pipeline surveillance job, instead opting to hire “idle hands and surrogates for name-calling and giving spurious excuses.”

The statement highlighted the questionable tactics used by the Itsekiri Pipelines Surveillance Stakeholders, including attempts to blackmail NNPCL by suggesting that the Trans-forcados pipelines were under the overlordship of the Olu of Warri, therefore justifying the sustained non-performance contract.

NDSF called for transparency, urging the Olu and his company to admit their failure in justifying the $3.9 million monthly contract. They questioned the justification for NNPCL to sustain the award of the contract to PINL, considering the continuous wreckage of the Trans-forcados pipelines by oil thieves.

The statement cautioned against viewing the contract termination as an attack on the Itsekiri nation, emphasizing that it was a business transaction that required justification for such a significant monthly payment for a non-performing contract. NDSF urged the Itsekiri people to be objective, citing the example of Mr. Godwin Ebosa, who acknowledged the termination as a business deal gone sour.

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Furthermore, NDSF criticized Mrs. Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, Vice President, Upstream, NNPCL, for allegedly supporting PINL to retain the job for wrong reasons, suggesting she was playing ethnic cards. They warned her against serving narrow ethnic interests, threatening to demand her removal if she continued to exhibit such behavior.

In conclusion, NDSF reiterated its commitment to issue a detailed statement soon, urging all parties involved to prioritize transparency and accountability in addressing the controversy.