By Chesa Chesa
As controversy rages over the award of oil pipelines rehabilitation contracts in the Niger Delta by the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), the Civil Society Groups for Good Governance (CSGGG) has absolved the Group Chief Executive Officer of the company, Mele Kyari, of any unwholesome move to favour any particular persons or region.
Addressing a press conference in Abuja on Sunday, president of the group, Comrade Domnic Ogakwu, specifically dismissed the allegation that a “northern cabal” was given undue advantage by Kyari to secure the contracts, as fallacious and crude attempt to smear the reputation of the NNPCL boss and undermine his good works in the company.
According to Agakwu, who was flanked at the conference by some members of the coalition, the process of awarding such contracts was not one that could be single-handedly manipulated by Kyari, and that it was widely advertised and bidders transparently selected by several layers of institutional regulatory agencies.
He stressed that pipeline surveillance is not a tea party and that “being an –ex-militant is not enough qualification to be awarded such a critical task”.
Agakwu pointed out that the NNPCL under Kyari prioritises its mandate of ensuring a safe and secure oil infrastructure and functional pipeline corridor to sustainably deliver national production targets, stating that “there is nothing personal to Mele Kyari and management NNPC Limited, rather than what is possible and best for the country”.
The CSGGG declared that “it is obvious to all well-meaning Nigerians that some wolves are expending a lot of negative energies to discredit the Group Chief Executive Officer of the NNPC Limited, Mallam Mele Kyari, in order to push him out of office and have unfettered access to seize and manipulate state resources to their personal advantage.
“The recent attempts are not new and amount to red herring when there is absolutely no need or iota of facts about the allegations. The claim of “quietly awarding the control of Nigeria’s pipelines to a Northern oil cabal” is not only fallacious, figment of the writers and their sponsors’ imagination but cowardly, and begs the question.
“First, for those who understand contracting process and are willing to be unbiased in their judgement, to award such a contract requires tender notices in form of advertisements which were made public for qualified companies to bid.
“The process for the contracts awards, as has been the case since Mallam Kyari assumed office, remains rigorous in line with industry norms. Each bidding company has been subjected to a competitive tender selection process as guided by the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission and a transaction advisor.
“These regulatory institutions had to also work with the Nigeria Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (NEITI) and the Ministry of Justice in the project development and evaluation exercise.
“So, it stands against reasoning that after such a rigorous process, anything untoward will be suggested by any rational mind.”
The group listed the winning bids to journalists to buttress its point that a fair process was administered.
The contractors are:
“LOT 1: Oilserve Ltd, Chu Kong Steel Pipe Group Company Ltd, Saudi Crown Oilserve.
“LOT 2: MacReady Oil and Gas Services, COBRA Instalicios S.A, Control Y Montajes Industriales & International De Pipelines, Iron Products Industries Ltd, Batelitwin Global Services Ltd, Bauen Empresa Constructora SAU, Sanderton Energy Ltd, The Spanish National Association of Manufacturers.
“LOT 3: A A Rano, Zakhem Construction Nigeria, Bablinks Resources Ltd, VAE Controls S.R.O.
“LOT 4: MRS Oil and Gas, CPPE Nigeria Ltd.”
As it listed the numerous achievements of Mele Kyari since he was appointed in 2021, the CSGGG concluded that “we are not unmindful that some individuals are double bent on creating mountains out of nothing over the award of pipeline surveillance contracts to qualified and performing entities and not them.
“We urge those who are hellbent to undermine the transformative leadership of President Bola Tinubu to have a rethink and stop the meaningless agitations and threats. Rather they can add a positive voice to support the progress and growth of NNPC Limited under the patriotic leadership of Mele Kyari. We have only one country to build!”
