Gbaramatu Activists Warn Against Renewal of Oil Surveillance Contracts to Non- indigenous Companies

By Sylvester Idowu

Right activists in Gbaramatu kingdom on Wednesday sent a petition to the General Managing Director of NNPC, Dr Kacalla Baru, concerning the award of oil pipeline surveillance contracts in the area to non-indigenous companies.

They warned against renewing the oil and gas facilities surveillance contract awarded to a non-indigenous firm, Ocean Marine Surveillance Ltd, over the years.

In the petition signed by Captain Isaac Bobo and  Comrade Williams Welemu, they alleged that the company was forging signatures of Gbaramatu kingdom communities’ chairmen to deceive relevant authorities as “if the communities have accepted the renewal of the said contracts.

“We maintain that such contracts should not be renewed. They should be reviewed and awarded to indigenous contractors in the kingdom”, it added.

The petitioners frowned upon the attempt by Ocean Marine Surveillance company, operated by a non-indigenous contractor, to renew the pipelines surveillance contracts awarded to it by the NNPC.

The activists said surveillance of oil pipelines in Gbaramatu kingdom would be best carried out by the indigenes of the kingdom compared to non-indigenous contractors and also in line with the local content act.

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