THE seven companies
employed by the immediate past administration of former President Goodluck
Jonathan to secure pipelines in many parts of the country have resorted to
instigating a legal action against the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporations
(NNPC) and the Federal Government
The companies are
owned by Chief Gani Adams, Dr Fredrick Fasheun, Asari Dokubo, High Chief Bibo
Pere Ajube, Chief Joshua Machiever and High Chief Omo.
The companies
have therefore given the NNPC an ultimatum till the end of August to pay them
for securing the pipelines for three months or be ready for a legal tussle.
The companies, in
an open letter to President Muhammadu Buhari said “Rising from a meeting, held
on Friday, August 14, 2015, at Signature Building, Eko Hotel and Suite,
Victoria Island, Lagos, we, the NNPC Pipeline Security and Surveillance service
providers, have unanimously resolved to write the management of the NNPC on the
need to settle its indebtedness to the contractors.
“We would like to
use this opportunity to set the records straight for the good of the public.
“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. Until 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.
“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 vandalism
across the country.”
The group also
noted that, “Against the 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.