Fasehun, Dokubo threaten to sue NNPC over pipeline contract

AUGUST 17, 2015 : TOBI AWORINDE
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Founder of the O’dua Peoples Congress, Dr. Fredrick Fasehun; a
former Niger Delta militant leader, Mujahid Dokubo-Asari; and
four others, who were awarded a three-month pipeline
surveillance contract by the Federal Government, have
demanded their settlement from the Nigerian National Petroleum
Corporation.
In a joint statement made available to The PUNCH on Monday,
the contractors said failure of the NNPC to remit the payments
by the end of August would result in a lawsuit against the
corporation.
The companies attached to the deal were given as New Age
Nigeria Limited (Fasehun), Donyx Global Concept Ltd. (Gani
Adams), Gallery Security Services Ltd. (Bibo Pere Ajube),
Bajeros Nigeria Ltd. (Joshua Machiever), Close Body Protection
Ltd., ATEF Nigeria Ltd. (Asari-Dokubo), and Izon Ibe Security
Ltd.
The statement read, “Rising from a meeting, held on Friday,
August 14, 2015, at the 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. Up untill 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 alter of politics.
“But nothing can be farther from the truth. It is necessary for the
public to know that against widely held belief, that the contract
was terminated by the Federal Government; the contract indeed
ran its course, which was a period of three months, starting
from March 15, 2015 and ended on June 15, 2015.”
According to the statement, the contract was signed by the
contractors and the management of the NNPC as a way of
finding lasting solutions to the incessant problem of pipeline
vandalism across the country.
It added that 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 stated, “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.
“By this, we have resolved that by the end of this month
(August), if the NNPC fails to redeem its contractual obligation
and refuse to pay us, we would be left with no choice but to take
them to court , an action which we think may not do the
credibility of the government any good because it is a case
based on contractual agreement that was legally signed by a
parastatal of government.