NSA, CDS, Army chief visit Fubara, gov faults pipeline contract

Siminalayi Fubara, the governor of Rivers State, has criticized the federal government for giving the pipeline surveillance contract to just one business and person.

The governor warned that such a development might have an impact on the region’s efforts to combat oil theft.

When a group came to meet him at Government House in Port Harcourt on Saturday, Fubara made this statement under the leadership of Nuhu Ribadu, the national security adviser.

Mele Kyari, group chief executive officer of Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, had defended the government’s choice to award Tantita Security Services, allegedly owned by former militant leader Government Ekpemupolo, also known as Tompolo, the multibillion-naira pipeline surveillance contract.

In response to the delegation’s comments, Fubara criticized the government’s choice and said it was unacceptable. In order to get the intended outcome, he claimed that more persons from the many states and ethnic nationalities in the area should have been given the task.

“I believe that in order to solve the problems, we must look locally, but security of pipelines shouldn’t be left in the hands of one man,” he said. How is the pipeline in Onne LGA under the authority of someone from Kalabari? How is it possible for someone in Onne LGA to influence what occurs in Ogoni?

It’s not feasible right now. We need to think about hiring everyone who is important in the various communities.

Fubara noted that his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, took the threat of illegal oil refining head-on and claimed that the state had always been in the forefront of the fight against it.

Fubara asked Niger Delta leaders to band together and make sure that their two sons overseeing the petroleum ministries were successful in their respective portfolios, pointing out that everyone would gain from the new course being pursued by President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
He said, “Two of our sons, from the states of Bayelsa and Akwa Ibom, are in charge of the petroleum ministry. We want them to succeed. We must offer them the assistance they require. Given that we are already working on it, you shouldn’t have even considered arriving. You need to have merely given me a call to get the situation report.

However, he claimed that in comparison to its contribution to the national economy, the Niger Delta was not reaping the benefits it should. He instructed the group to speak with the appropriate persons in order to obtain the necessary data.

Ribadu had earlier stated that the Tinubu-led administration was prepared to handle everything properly in order to bring the country back on track.

According to Ribadu, the Federal Government has continued to value the crude oil and gas-rich region, thus it is taking all necessary steps to reorient the region.

We are here at Tinubu’s own request, the NSA declared. As the Minister of Defense stated, Mr. President’s commitment is the reason we are present. Mr. President thinks that this region of Nigeria does matter a lot. Of course, the Niger Delta’s inhabitants require peace as well as access to resources.

We have instructions from him. This is the entirety of federal power, as you can see. We have gathered here strategic people and offices. This demonstrates a dedication to and a conviction that, as the minister of defense put it, enough is enough. New chapter has begun.

“We think the time has come to act morally, and we’re going to do it,”

General Christopher Musa, the CDS, and Lt.-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, the Chief of Army Staff, were also present in the delegation.

Muhammed Badaru, the Minister of Defense, Bello Matawalle, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri, and Ekperipe Ekpo, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), were the others.