Ex-militant, others threaten to sue NNPC over pipeline security payments

Former militant, Mujahid Dokubo-Asari has threatened to drag the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to court over pipeline security payments owed to him.

Other beneficiaries who have threatened to sue the NNPC over the payments include the factional leaders of the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC), Frederick Fasehun and Gani Adams.

The demand was made via an open letter addressed to President Muhammadu Buhari.

The aggrieved contractors said that they had been awarded a three-month contract - March 15 to June 15 - by the NNPC but were yet to be paid for their services.

The letter reads:

“It should be known that the contractors had valid and duly signed contract agreements with the management of the NNPC to protect the pipelines for a period of three months.”

“Up on till now, the public perception of the NNPC Pipeline Security and Surveillance job was that former President Goodluck Jonathan gave the job to the contractors on the platter of politics. But nothing can be farther from the truth than this.”

“Therefore, for the purpose of clarity, it should be noted that the contract was signed between the contractors and the management of the NNPC, an agency of government, as a way of finding lasting solutions to the incessant problem of pipeline vandalisation across the country.”

“The terms and agreements of the contract were formulated and drafted by the management of the NNPC and was duly signed by all the parties, including the contractors and the legal department of the NNPC after several meetings and consultations.”

“It is also necessary for the public to know that, against widely held belief that the contract was terminated by the Federal Government, it should be noted that the contract indeed ran its course, which was a period of three months, starting from March 15, 2015 and ended June 15, 2015.”

“It is our belief that the contract agreement between the NNPC and the contractors is a public document and therefore can always be accessed by any member of public.”

“At the same time, what we are demanding from the NNPC is for it to redeem its own part of the contract agreement and should not be seen as a favour and handout to any individual.”