THE Federal Government is set to commence a probe into the pipelines surveillance jobs awarded to some ex-militant leaders by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) under the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.
Sources close to the incumbent administration said that arrangements have been concluded to commence the probe of the multi-million naira programme aimed at engaging the ex-militants by the last administration.
The N5.6 billion contract awarded to some ex-militant leaders including Alhaji Asari Dokubo; Ebikabowei Victor Ben (a.k.a Boyloaf), Africanus Ukparasia (a.k.a Africa), Paul Eris (a.k.a Ogunbos); Farah Dagogo and Ateke Tom, among others, was meant to protect oil pipelines in the oil rich Niger Delta.
It was not clear whether another version of the surveillance contract was awarded to the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) before the termination of the last administration.
The trio of Boyloaf, Ogunbos and Africa had floated a security company, Pajero, to handle the Bayelsa segment of the contract, while Asari Dokubo, Dagogo as well as Ateke Tom were said to have handled the Rivers State segment of the contract which ran between 2012 and 2014.
The last administration, however, did not renew the contract in 2015.
Sources in the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, however, told the newsmen on Monday that President Buhari has ordered the probe of the surveillance contracts in line with the anti-corruption stance of the government.
“I have been reliably told that the pipeline contract is being looked into. The president has directed a discreet probe that will give in anyone found to have soiled his hands in those contracts,” a source said.
But the Special Adviser to the President on Media, Mr Femi Adesina, said on Monday that he was unaware of the probe.
When contacted through a text message, he simply replied: “Not aware.”
