Lawsuit Preparations in Progress.
Foremost civil society organization,One love foundation has written to the Federal government through the federal Minister of petroleum resources and Attorney general of the federation to furnish them with the exact details of entire contractual terms and documents entered into with Mr Government Tompolo on the recent #4.5 billion naira contract awarded to him for pipeline surveillance contract in the Niger delta creeks. The details of the official letter written by legal representatives to one love foundation and addressed to Agf, minister of petroleum resources, and CEO of NNPC goes thus below:
RE:FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST AS REGARD THE RECENT PIPELINE SURVEILLANCE CONTRACT AWARDED TO MR GOVERNMENT EKEMUPOLO:
We are legal practitioners and we write on behalf of one love foundation(a non profit organization)and an NGO concerned with public accountability and foremost human right organization with headquarter office based in benin city, Nigeria.
We apply pursuant to the freedom of information act(lfn) and under the relevant sections therein and accordingly request from your office , the following documents as regard NNPC and ministry of petroleum resources standard procedure and official guide in the award of the recent pipeline surveillance contract to Mr Government Ekemupolo in this regard. Which vis-a-vis include:
A. Letter of contract, awarded to a certain Mr Government Ekemupolo.
B. His certificate of incorporation of this contract.
C. His 3 years current tax clearance certificate submitted to your office as a guideline for the award of this contract.
D. His dpr permit/license, where applicable.
E. His vat certicate.
F. His pencom certificate and current Itf registration certificate submitted to your office as a guideline for the award of this contract.
G. His local content registration(nogic jqs or ncec)
H. Any other relevant documents necessary and contained therein as regard earlier or recent contracts awarded to Mr Government Tompolo
We accordingly request your office to within reasonable time and in line with SECTION 2,3, and 4 of Freedom of information act, to provide this documents.
Reacting to the above, The Global president of One love foundation. Chief Dr, Sir , Patrick Eholor , has noted that the above legal step is done in good faith and as a pre action step in consonance to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act ,in other for his CSO and citizens of south south Nigeria ,to be fully aware as to the nature and substratum of the pipeline surveillance contract that was recently awarded to Mr Government Tompolo,as he noted that on failure of all the Federal governmental bodies involved to provide to his organization, all the requested official records and documents as it relates to this pipeline contract, then recourse will be made by his organization to the nigeria court , to compell the production of this sought after public records and every further legal steps will thereafter be activated.
He also noted that this is important,that Mr tompolo reached every stakeholders and CSO on this Niger delta pipeline surveillance contract, in other to reduce friction and many law suits, that will emerge from this shrouded pipeline contract in this regard. Chief ,Dr Patrick Eholor has though in an earlier statement made to the press on this Tompolo awarded pipeline contract, Though commended the Federal Government because they understood that they lack the strenght to manage the security and gave it to Tompolo, and while he congratulates Tompolo for getting the contract, tompolo should know that contract of this nature, is not exclusive to him only. He needs to carry everybody in Niger delta along.
“Nobody has the monopoly of violence. We are not violent people, we are very educated people, we are very smart, we are very courageous people.
“We are ready to work with him, to also make sure that we protect the pipelines that run through Edo State and all through the Niger Delta region.
” I see this thing as a welfare system where you know that some ethnic groups have suffered a lot, you know they are unemployed, you want to release money so that each and every one of them can enjoy the national cake, and stop destruction.
The whole people of Niger delta need to benefit from Mr government tompolo FG awarded surveillance contract,so that,everyone from their region and areas in Niger delta can also protect the oil wells and the oil pipelines in their places. It is going to create jobs for our teeming youths whom the government have neglected, unemployed, and who have been suffering to earn a living and care for their aged parents, and care for their families.
“But I do not support violence, I do not support destruction, but I won’t hesitate to tell the government that we cannot be discriminated against, one section will not be encouraged and the others neglected.
As at press time yesterday at about 5pm on 9th September 2022, there have been no official reaction from any of the governmental bodies.