The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) has questioned President Muhammadu Buhari’s regime on awarding a pipeline surveillance contract to an ex-militant warlord, Government Ekpemupolo.

“Who oversight the procurement process of this award? Were there bids, and what process led to his emergence on this award? Or is our bureau of public procurement also an incompetent institution that couldn’t deliver on a free and equitable process? On the other hand, doesn’t the law have clear stipulations on contract awards in Nigeria?” Auwal Musa, the executive director of CISLAC, said in a statement on Monday. 

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited last August announced the award of the pipeline protection contract worth N48 billion annually (N4 billion per month) to Mr Ekpemupolo, otherwise known as Tomopolo. 

The award of the multibillion-naira contract to Tompolo had sparked criticism and widespread condemnation from political and social organisations in Nigeria. 

The chief executive officer of NNPCL, Mele Kyari, had insisted the Buhari regime took the right decision in awarding Tompolo the oil pipeline contract. 

“What is the value of the investments and allocations made from the national treasury to the numerous security paraphernalia in Nigeria if an ex-militant is seen to be more competent to deliver on security issues than the entire armed forces,” the CISLAC statement noted.

While calling on the regime to rescind the decision, CISLAC saw “no possibility of it delivering a good result to the entire value chain as x-rayed.” 

“We call on the government to stop paying lip service to security issues and strategically work the numerous outfits within the security architecture in the country and proffer a lasting solution to the problem as these makeshift arrangements will only breed future challenges to the system,” CISLAC stressed.

It added, “We call on the government of Nigeria through this present administration to try and show some respect to the commitments that brought them to power – the fight against corruption – this has not fared any well in the long run as seen till now by this administration.”

CISLAC pointed out that it “is never late to make some impact within the short period remaining for this administration, or they can desist from making more dangerous mistakes that will further plunge the country into more danger.”