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Tompolo’s Contract: Security Personnel, Contractors, Politicians’ Allies Real Rhieves – Ex-Bayelsa Lawmaker

Published

2 years ago

September 7, 2022

Editor

A former Senator and a member of the Bayelsa Elders Forum, Senator Nimi Barigha Amange, has said that the real enemies of the state and the Niger Delta region are those who parade themselves as security personnel, contractors, and political allies to wound the nation’s economy already in comatose and not fragmented pipeline vandals.

Senator Amange claim was contained in a 17-point statement made available to newsmen in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, on Wednesday after a recent reaction to the award of a surveillance contract by Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation Ltd to former warlords.

The Senator, who also reacted to the recent report that the country loses over 400,000 barrels of crude oil per day to theft, said, “Tompolo’s contract is only a tip of the iceberg to the reality of the Niger Delta tales and a renewed call for the complete practice of the tenets of restructuring as restated over time. It is obvious that the Niger Delta people are engraved to be in the middle of nowhere and labeled ‘theft’ even when the real thieves parade themselves as security personnel, contractors, and political allies to wound the nation’s economy already in comatose.”

On the record that Nigeria loses over 400,000 barrels of crude oil per day to theft, translating to a drop from the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC, minimal standard of 1.8 million to 1.4 million barrels per day, which in simple terms are translated as losing over 6.132 billion barrels of crude oil annually, he said the big question on the lips of many Nigerians is the reality that Nigeria loses over 10 % of its daily crude oil production to oil thieves and pipeline vandals amounting to a staggering $1 billion in the first quarter of 2022.

Chief Amange, queried, “Who are the real thieves? Who are the real owners of the vessels operating in the Niger Delta region? Who gives the operating licences to oil lifters in the on-shore and off-shore operations?”

He further pointed out that the Nigerian Navy, Immigration, Police, DSS, Army, and other security personnel are usually present during the loading and sale of crude oil in the wharves, yet the stealing continues, and the culprits are not apprehended.

He expressed shock at how the country looks outwards to solve its economic woes by name-calling fragmented pipeline vandals as thieves, adding that the federal government must answer the questions of who the real thieves in the Niger Delta are.

The senator, who represented Bayelsa East Senatorial District, advised that beyond nibbling at the edges of the matters of security in Nigeria, especially to confront the economic question, the petroleum profit should be shared amicably to create the road to economic prosperity for the Niger Delta people and the country at large.

He noted that after analysing Tompolo’s pipeline surveillance contract vis-a-vis the crude oil loss, as speculated, the federal government is spending less than 1 percent of the cost of crude being lost daily to save the nation. Citing references to the last six months with crude oil’s average cost of $100 per barrel translated to put the loss at $40 million per day, $1.2 billion monthly, approximately at N540 billion, noting that if Tompolo’s contract can reduce crude oil theft by 50 percent, he regards it as the best that will ever happen to Nigeria, frowning at critics without cross-checking the facts and realities on ground.

Related Topics:#Tompolo Nimi Barigha Amange

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Police Reacts To Trending Video Of Woman Feeding Baby Alcohol,Vow To Fish Out Mother [WATCH]

Published

11 hours ago

May 15, 2024

Editor

The spokesperson of the Nigeria Police Force, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, has stated that the police will fish out a nursing mum filmed feeding her baby alcohol.

The disturbing video showed the woman who spoke in Yoruba, hailing her baby girl as she gulped the alcohol.

Reacting to the video, Adejobi wrote: ‘’Another assignment for us. This is too bad. We will fish her out. Thanks. @PoliceNG”

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EFCC Arrests 13 Fake BDC Operators In Lagos

Published

15 hours ago

May 14, 2024

Editor

Operatives of the Lagos Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, have arrested thirteen fake bureau de change operators in Lagos.

They were arrested for operating BDC without an appropriate licence.

The suspects are: Abdulahi Musa, Garba Abdullahi, Dauda Hussaini, Jubril Musa, Abdulwaheed Iliyasu and Abubakar Mohammed.

Others are: Umar Saidu, Nurudeen AbdulAzeez, Hamidu Usman, Yusuf Isa, Musa Ishaka, Liman Makki and Idris Mohammed.

They were arrested during sting operations by EFCC’s operatives between May 10 and 13, 2024 at different parts of Lagos, following credible intelligence received by the Commission about their illicit business activities.

Also, a suspected currency racketeer, Kafayat Lateef was also arrested over for alleged involvement in the sale of the Naira notes in different denominations.

A sum of N2.1 million was recovered from her at the point of arrest. A statement by EFCC Spokesman, Dele Oyewale, said that the suspects would soon be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded.

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Ex-CBN Gov, Emefiele Faces Fresh Charge Over Printing Of Naira Emefiele

Published

17 hours ago

May 14, 2024

Editor

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has preferred a fresh charge against the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, over an allegation that he illegally printed Naira notes while he held sway at the apex bank.

The anti-graft agency, in the four-count charge it entered before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja, equally accused the former CBN boss of unlawfully approving the withdrawal of about N124.8billion from the consolidated revenue fund.

According to the EFCC, the defendant, acting in violation of law and “with intent to cause injury to the public,” okayed the printing of naira notes without the approval of both the former President, Muhammadu Buhari and the board of the CBN.

Emefiele, who is already facing multiple charges both in Abuja and Lagos, is expected to take his plea before trial Justice Maryann Anenih.

Specifically, the charge against him, read: “That you Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele, between the 19th day of October 2022 and 5th March 2023 in Abuja, knowingly disobeyed the direction of Section 19 of the CBN Act, 2007, by approving the printing of N375,520,000.00 pieces of colour swapped N1, 000, at the total cost of N11,052, 068,062 without the recommendation of the Board of Central Bank and the strict approval of the President, Federal Republic of Nigeria which conduct of yours caused injury to the public and you thereby committed an offence.

“That you, Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele, between the 19th of October 2022 and 5th March 2023 in Abuja, knowingly disobeyed the direction of Section 19 of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act, 2007, by approving the printing of 172,000,000 pieces of colour swapped N500 (Five Hundred Naira) Notes, at the total cost of N4, 471,066,040 without the recommendation of the Board of Central Bank and the strict approval of the President, Federal Republic of Nigeria which conduct of yours caused injury to the public and you thereby committed an offence.

“That you Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele, between the 19th day of October 2022 and 5th March 2023 in Abuja, knowingly disobeyed the direction of Section 19 of the CBN Act, 2007, by approving the printing of 137,070,000 pieces of colour swapped N200 (Two Hundred Naira) Note, at the total cost of N3, 441, 005, 280 without the recommendation of the Board of Central Bank and the strict approval of the President, Federal Republic of Nigeria which conduct of yours caused injury to the public and you thereby committed an offence.

“That you, Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele, on or about the 7th day of October 2020, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, knowingly disobeyed the direction of Section 80 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (As Amended), by approving the withdrawal of the total sum of N124, 860, 227, 865.16 from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation in a manner not prescribed by the National Assembly, which conduct of yours caused injury to the public and you thereby committed an offence.”

It will be recalled that President Bola Tinubu had on June 9, 2023, suspended Emefiele from office as the head of the apex bank.

He was later arrested at his Lagos residence by DSS operatives.

The former CBN boss was subsequently transferred to the custody of the EFCC, which on November 28, 2023, docked him on a six-count charge that bordered on his alleged involvement in procurement fraud.

Though Emefiele, who initially spent 151 days in custody of security agencies, was later granted bail to the tune of N300million and ordered to produce two sureties that the trial court stressed must be Abuja residents that have landed property within the Maitama District, the defendant could not perfect the conditions till December 23, 2023, when he was released from Kuje prison where he spent about 34 days.