(The Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse III. Photo by Vanguard News)
The Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse III, has challenged Niger Delta activist Asari Dokubo to show proof of his claim that the monarch and others collect N2.7 trillion every year from pipeline surveillance contracts.
The challenge came in a statement on Tuesday from the Olu’s Sole Representative to NNPC Limited and its JV partners, Prince Collins Oritsetjmeyin Edema.
It followed Dokubo’s allegation that some individuals and companies, including the Olu of Warri, were given pipeline surveillance contracts and paid that amount yearly.
Edema said the claim cannot be separated from the image Dokubo has built over many years, which is tied to militancy, confrontation and a hard-line style of speaking.
He warned that statements about the Olu, Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited, PINL, Tompolo or other players can have serious effects in a region already sensitive on politics and ethnic lines.
He said pipeline surveillance contracts are not ordinary business deals, because Nigeria’s oil and gas pipelines are a key national asset.
According to him, their safety affects crude oil output, government income, foreign exchange earnings and the stability of the whole economy.
Edema added that the Niger Delta has paid a heavy price for politics driven by confrontation and fiery words.
He said it would be sad if old habits of militancy and careless speech were allowed to stir up ethnic fears that responsible leaders are trying to leave behind.
In the statement, he said the claim that the Olu receives N2.7 trillion yearly from pipeline surveillance contracts is totally rejected.
He said given how extraordinary the allegation is, and what it could do to the Olu’s reputation and to the country’s pipeline security, a public reply was needed.
The statement ended with a call on Dokubo to produce the documents behind his claim.
