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Double Award of Contracts For oil and Gas Metering by NUPRC undermines Nigeria’s National interest-CASER
John Ajayi
Citizens Advocacy for Social & Economic Rights (CASER) strongly condemns the recent contracts awarded by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) for oil and gas metering. This decision blatantly undermines Nigeria’s national interest and reeks of high-level corruption.
In a statement issued on Monday in Abuja, by the Director, Advocacy CenterCitizens Advocacy for Social & Economic Rights (CASER) Frank Tietie, Esq, expressed disappointment that we have learned from the Minister of State for Petroleum, Heineken Lokpobri, of the recent revelation.
According to the statement, CASER has strongly advocated for the implementation of the International Cargo Tracking Note (Advance Cargo Declaration) and have in the past, had course to pursue legal action which stalled an earlier attempted breach of the Public Procurement Act. This measure is crucial to ensure accurate revenues from exports and imports, particularly crude oil exports and petroleum imports, prevent the influx of illegal arms and weapons together with other contrabands, and collate accurate trade statistics for vital National planning purposes.
“The Federal Government of Nigeria, under the past administration of President Muhammadu Buhari had already awarded the contract to a Consortium led by Antasser Nigeria Ltd, a global leader in cargo monitoring for ensuring national security and accuracy of revenue remittances to governments across the world.
“However, it is with profound disappointment that we have learned from the Minister of State for Petroleum, Heineken Lokpobri, of the recent revelation that contracts for the engineering audit of upstream measurement equipment and facilities in the Nigerian Oil and Gas Upstream has been awarded to a particular company, PE Energy Limited, for the sum of $21 million (US Dollars), while another contract for the procurement of pre-field development studies for advanced declaration solution Technology (international Cargo Tracking Note) for the Nigerian Oil and Gas Upstream Sector was awarded to P-Lyne Energy Limited for an amount yet to be disclosed.
“Essentially, the above two recent contracts form part of services to be rendered free of charge to the Federal Government in a different contract which has already been awarded to a Consortium led by Antasser Nigeria Ltd, and the services to be provided by these recent awards are a clear duplication of services that are actually meant to be at a total zero cost to the Federal Government of Nigeria under the implementation of the International Cargo Tracking Note (ICTN).
“It is important to question why the Nigerian Shippers Council and the Honorable Minister of Marine and Blue Economy have not activated the existing contract with the Antasser-led consortium, instead they have allowed for a duplication of the same contract by another agency of the same government.
“This duplication seems to either be motivated by corruption and the self-enrichment of certain individuals in positions of power or the refusal of a cabal benefiting from the status quo.
“The conclusion is easily reached due to the speed and lack of transparency in the processes that led to the recent announcement of the appointment of PE Energy Ltd and P-Lyne Energy Ltd to execute a part of an already awarded contract. These processes defy all public procurement standards, raising more questions than answers at a critical time when our nation is battling with serious economic and security issues.
“This highlights another important reason why the current operations of the Nigerian oil and gas sector need to be carefully scrutinized and completely overhauled, especially in light of the recent crisis involving the NNPC, Mid and Downstream regulatory commission, and the Dangote Refinery.
“In the spirit of transparency and justice for the Nigerian people, CASER is calling on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to call to order, all the relevant authorities, including the Honourable Minister of State for Petroleum and the chief executive officer (CEO) of the NUPRC, Gbenga Komolafe, to immediately stop the unnecessary and unjust duplication of award of the oil and gas metering and cargo monitoring contract to PE Energy Ltd and P-Lyne Energy Ltd, and instead liase with its fellow government agency (The Nigerian Shippers Council) to implement the already existing contract.
The Statement added that: “Having said the above and despite the provisions of the Public Procurement Act, CASER has suspicions related to corruption and favoritism. To get to the bottom of this, it has hereby decided to immediately initiate a freedom of information (FOI) request in order to find out the following:
1. The contract details and when it was advertised.
2. Information about the companies that submitted bids.
3. Details about the winning bidder, including the bidding process used and the reason for their selection.
4. Evidence that this process went through all the required agencies for such a contract.
5. The ultimate beneficiaries of the contract.
“CASER is committed to its mandate of ensuring that the Nigerian government’s institutions and agents work in the interest of the Nigerian people’s well-being and welfare through judicious resource use, compliance with legal standards, eradication of manifest forms of abuse of public office for self-service, and reduction of public sector corruption.
“Therefore, we urge the President to hold to account and sanction all those officials involved in this clear case of corrupt contract maneuvering and ensure that the proper thing is done immediately.”
Featured
Daughters of Dr. Charles Ononiwu, Chiamanda and Chiamaka, Launch Debut Books to Uplift Hearts Facing Life’s Struggles
Joel Ajayi
At just 18 and 20 years old, Chiamanda and Chiamaka Ononiwu — daughters of renowned Nigerian surgeon Dr. Charles Ononiwu — have achieved a remarkable milestone with the release of their debut inspirational books, Do Not Be Afraid and Waterfalls.
Their literary journey began six years ago, during the height of the global COVID-19 pandemic. While the world was engulfed in fear and uncertainty, the then 13- and 15-year-old sisters turned inward, using writing as an outlet to process their emotions, express their faith, and reach out to others with messages of hope and resilience.
What began as a quiet act of creativity blossomed into two powerful books that now serve as beacons of light for readers navigating life’s storms.
Eighteen-year-old Chiamanda Ononiwu is the author of Do Not Be Afraid. A passionate Electrical Engineering student , she is also a proud alumna of Intellichild TLC and Valedictorian of Great Blessings School, Class of 2022.
In her book, she addresses the emotional challenges many young people face and draws from her personal faith to offer guidance and encouragement.
Her elder sister, Chiamaka Ononiwu, 20, is a final-year medical student at Babcock University in Nigeria. She penned Waterfalls, a heartfelt and deeply spiritual work she describes as divinely inspired. Chiamaka views her writing as a calling — a mission to uplift souls and bring hope to those struggling with life’s challenges.
“Personally, I would say it all started with the idea of inclusion, inspired by real human experiences,” Chiamaka shared. “We’ve had conversations with people who’ve gone through difficult situations — including issues and those stories helped shape what I write today.”
She added, “It’s all about encouraging people to face life with faith. We began this journey during a dark time in the world, and I felt called to create something that could offer comfort and hope — not just locally, but globally.”
The official book launch and signing ceremony took place on Wednesday in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, and was attended by family, friends, colleagues, and well-wishers. It was a celebration of creativity, faith, and youthful brilliance, as the sisters presented their work to an inspired audience.
Speaking at the event, Chiamaka emphasized the core message of her book: “Waterfalls reminds readers that God is always watching over His people. He doesn’t bring fear — He brings peace, hope, and love. I want readers to find comfort and assurance in that truth.”
For Chiamanda, her book is a message to young people who may feel overwhelmed by life’s pressures: “Do Not Be Afraid is especially for youth navigating difficult times. No matter how hard life gets, you can always find strength and direction in God’s word.”
Writing came naturally to both sisters. Chiamaka recalled, “Even as a child, I loved writing short stories for my siblings. When the opportunity came to publish, I knew it was time to share my message with a wider audience.”
Despite their demanding academic paths, both young women balanced their studies with writing through perseverance and faith.
Chiamanda and Chiamaka are united by a shared dream — to inspire people across the world with their writing.
Chiamaka expressed Further; “Our biggest hope is that these books will reach people who need to know that God is real, that He’s always with them, and that through Him, anything is possible,” Chiamaka said.
With Do Not Be Afraid and Waterfalls, the Ononiwu sisters have not only created literary works — they’ve created lifelines. Their voices, grounded in faith and driven by purpose, remind readers everywhere that even in the darkest moments, God’s light never fades.
Their father, Dr. Charles Ononiwu — a distinguished surgeon and deeply devoted parent — also spoke at the event, sharing the journey from his perspective.
“For me, my number one priority has always been to care for children — not just medically, but also by encouraging them academically and in the basics of life,” he said.
He recounted a moving moment with Chiamanda, who approached him with the idea of sharing her story publicly to inspire others.
“She came to me and said she wanted to talk to her peers, to share how she had been comforted, and to help them see that everything would be okay,” he recalled. “As a father, my role was to guide her. I support both of them, help activate their strengths, and provide direction.”
Dr. Ononiwu made the decision to fund the publication of their books himself, believing in the power of their message.
“I told them, ‘You have something the world needs. You can make an impact in the lives of others,’” he said. “I believe every child has a gift. It is our responsibility as parents not to dismiss them, but to help them discover and nurture their talents.”
He encouraged all parents to support their children’s creative pursuits, noting, “Every person has something special inside them — no one is without talent. It’s just a matter of looking inward, discovering that gift, and sharing it with the world.”
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