This is coming from stakeholders in OML30, Delta State, who have expressed concern over the unnecessary spending of $2.5 million monthly and $30 million annually on securing the Trans-Forcados pipeline without any impact.

Speaking at a press briefing on Wednesday, in Ughelli, they called on President Tinubu to direct the NNPCL and the NNPC Exploration and Production Limited (NEPL) to stop wasting resources on securing the Trans-Forcados pipeline.

Comrade A.D Onisoru, who spoke on behalf of the stakeholders, alleged that an official of the NEPL is behind the keeping of the surveillance contract and urged the management of NEPL to quickly act and stop the contract, which is a drain on the resources of the NNPCL and the Federal Government.

“We want to draw the attention of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to the wasteful monthly $2.5m and $30m annually on surveillance contract for Trans-Forcados Pipeline, TFP. The contract was awarded sometime in 2017 and expired in March 2023. We are also aware that the NNPCL had recently awarded the pipeline surveillance contract to a more competent private security company to secure the same Trans-Forcados Pipeline contract.

“We now have a situation where two companies are securing the Trans-Forcados pipeline. That is not proper, especially now that President Tinubu is blocking all financial leakages and doing everything possible to save more money for the country to enable him (President Tinubu) to deliver on his ”Renewed Hope” agenda. So, we expect the President and NNPCL to do the needful by terminating the contract.

“The Federal Government and NNPCL cannot continue to pay two contractors for securing the Trans-Forcados Pipeline. That is a total waste of resources. Therefore, we are telling the FG, NNPCL and NEPL to terminate the $2.5m monthly and $30m annual surveillance contract in OML30. The FG and NNPCL should save that money and use it for another purpose that will benefit Nigerians,” he said.

It will be recalled that sometime in 2017, then-Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), now Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited NNPCL, awarded a contract to Ocean Marine Solutions (OMS) to secure the Trans-Forcados pipeline (TFP), which generated serious controversy and counter accusations amongst stakeholders.