Lateef Taiwo

The Niger Delta Forum for Truth and Justice (NDJTF), has accused the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwase 111 and Pipelines Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL) of averse to the whole truth , stating that a public defence of Mrs oritsemeyiwa Eyesan Vice President, Upstream sector of NNPCL would have been exonerating.

A statement released to media men on Sunday by the President, Ejiroghene Marierie challenged the duos and his accomplices of been economical with the truths, stating that the Vanguard newspaper publication of 26th, January on page 23 was face saving.

The President of the body maintained that security reports along with envisaged patronage had overridden the sense of reasoning which feigned his underperforming company that lacks capacity to carry out security surveillance job, hence Eyesan’s recommendation to an under performing and undeserved company belonging to the monarch.

He further confronted the NNPCL top shot as a tribal and clannish czar, who is soaked in ethnic coloration, while describing PINL as unfit, unqualified and operating against public procurement acts.

He described the PINL as an inefficient company and unqualified with evidences of it’s malfeasance and inefficiency , stating that under olu firm about 112 incidences was recorded in a week of oil thefts, with many vandalism as reported by the officials of NNPCL.

He also questioned the integrity of PINL rather than compromising with oil vandals and collaborators, while challenging him to come to truth about the arrest of any oil thefts in his area of security surveillance , that deserve more larger commitment from NNPCL particularly in Rivers and Imo.

While the group President maintained that they would have been no need for the high profile monarch moving from one personality or the other for contract renewal and review upwards in the nation’s city with a qualified company, stating that this was evidence that Olu is still on the board of PINL.

While touting the half baked media handlers and publication of the vanguard newspaper as diversionary and side taking, he wants media houses to remain unbiased, so as to sustain the corporate existence and transparency in the activities of both individuals and corporate entities in the country.

He reiterated that the action of the Vanguard newspaper known for its efficient and effective media coverage, balance journalism over the years had eroded the good intentions of the founding fathers, having reduced it’s activities to clannish and sectional stance.

He said the group was not questioning the award of the security surveillance contract to PINL by an ijaw man, Engineer Adokie Tomboamieye , but against re awarding on the basis of inefficient and effective as well as compromise with oil thefts already displayed in it’s activities.

“Eyesan is blinded on the cocoon of ethnic agenda were the itsekiris will continue to hold swat against other tribes like the urhobos of patronage, asking them to display the CAC certificate of registration for PINL, if the Olu of Warri will not be culpable.”

He also made reference to Trans forcados earlier awarded to PINL that turned to haven of oil thefts, crippled activities but when rewarded to another company, Industrial wide security, normalcy returned the Delta area.

Ejiroghene assured that the only way transparent and non translucent activities could take place is to remove Eyesan from the entire process , as she is self serving, ethnic bigot and monarchical underdog operating under the whims and caprices of olu of Warri’s PINL, as she deliberately refused to incorporate other tribes of Urhobo, except the exclusive preserve of the itsekiris.

The release further states…

NIGER DELTA FORUM FOR TRUTH AND JUSTICE (NDFTJ)
80, CHINDA ROAD, OFF ADA GEORGE ROAD, PORT-HARCOURT, RIVERS STATE.

OIL PIPELINES SURVEILLANCE CONTRACT IMPROPRIETIES: THE WISHY- WASHY RESPONSE BY OLU OF WARRI, OGIAME ATUWATSE III AND PIPELINES INFRASTRUCTURES NIGERIA LIMITED (PINL).

“The Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwase III, could have done a better job in the public defence of one of his subjects, Mrs. Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, the Vice President, Upstream Operations, NNPCL.”

“To conceal the truth and avoid thorough public scrutiny of the matter, the high flown Warri monarch threw her under the bus with a tacky, wishy washy publication in the Vanguard Newspapers of 26th January 2024, page 23.”

“Mrs. Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan had stuck out her neck and probably put her job on the line, when she endorsed the Itsekiri Royal father’s under performing company, Pipelines Infrastructures Nigeria Limited (PINL), for a bigger contract in the provision of surveillance and protection for the nation’s oil assets in the Niger Delta.”

“With regular updated security reports on crude oil exploration available to her high office, Mrs. Eyesan can’t feigned ignorance of the monarch’s security outfit lacking capacity to effectively carry out pipelines protection.”

“Despite the knowledge, she went ahead to recommend that the undeserving company should be awarded a beefed up contract.”

“In our publication of 23rd January 2024, to which they made a rejoinder, we had addressed the contract renewal, and why Mrs. Eyesan should be removed from office as Vice President, Upstream Operations, in the NNPCL. “

“We accused her of being clanish, and for ethnic loyalty had endorsed PINL for a job, it is unfit. “

That based on the company’s history of inefficiency, it should rather have been suspended from vying for pipelines security contracts.”

“We anchored our publication on the many failures of the company and its inability to live up its duties.”

“There are hard evidence to substantiate allegations of inefficiency against the Olu’s firm.”

“In a period of a week, under PINL supervision, over 112 incidents of oil theft were recorded in its area of operation, with a legion of vandalism cases, as revealed by the management of NNPCL.”

“If the aforesaid are facts, on what basis does, Mrs. Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, find PINL good enough for a bigger contract? “

“Another question to ponder, is if PINL has at any time apprehended or arrested a single oil thief or vessel, despite the unending crude theft in territories under its control? “

“These are the areas we had wanted the Olu of Warri, or his affiliates to address, but the half -baked proxies he hired to respond for him, went on a rigmarole that led to no where.”

“The Olu and his PINL are desirous that their shoddy performance be swept under the carpet and remains uncovered.”

“In normal situations, PINL would be struck off the list of companies to be considered for contracts.”

“Apart from the denial that the Olu of Warri is not in the board of PINL, the palace sponsored rebuttal never addressed the accusation of PINL’s dereliction of duties and competence. Nor the involvement of Mrs. Eyesan scooping a larger contract for her monarch.”

“We want to quash their lies from another angle. If the Olu is not in the board of directors of PINL as stated, on what basis is he moving from one office and hotel room to the other in Abuja, soliciting for re-award and expansion of the pipelines protection contract for PINL?”

“It is no secret that while in the FCT he mounts a ceaseless pressure to speedily facilitate the award.”

“The harebrained hirelings of the Olu Palace just driblled and beat around the bush, as they were bereft of ideas on the matter.”

“It’s more disappointing to note that with the stupendous wealth at his disposal, the Olu of Warri could only mobilise a few hollow heads, lacking intellectual sophistication, as media handlers.”

“Hence, they had no good fulcrum to leverage a defence, either for PINL or Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan.”

“They flew of the cuff unrestrained with umbrage and insults on those they consider their paymaster’s enemies but failed to cover up the monarch’s shenanigans. “

“No matter whose horse is gored, our take remains the national interest.”

“The Vanguard Newspaper has lost its national appeal that was rooted in balanced journalism ethos. The publication has gradually fallen from its Olympian heights, to a mere ethnic propagandist tool of the Olu of Warri. In a manner of speaking, and sadly enough too, the Vanguard flagship has now assumed the notoriety of Itsekiri megaphone.”

“It unwittingly rejected our publication on flimsy excuses, other media houses, however, differed and accepted it. “

“But in a volte face, the paper accepted abinitio to publish the Olu and PINL’s rejoinder.”

“We posit that Vanguard’s action is unprofessional and ethnically parochial.
We hope that its Publisher, the great Uncle Sam Amuka, muster courage to salvage the newspaper, which is gradually losing its national appeal.”

“The Itsekiri and Olu of Warri interest influenced the paper’s decision.”

“PINL should bury its head in shame, the company nor its board members were not bold enough to respond directly to the issues canvassed in our publication. We had expected a direct civilized reply, but they chose to use clueless, ill mannered irritants to bell their cat. Which depicts a desire to gloss over the facts.”

“PINL has no defence. Its reply posed more questions than answers. It neither addressed any issue, nor shield the Olu of Warri from public scrutiny he is trying hard to evade. “

“In the end, it exposed Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan to opprobrium and the guillotine. She must at this point have regretted her involvement in the saga. She stuck her neck out for those who won’t cross a puddle for her.”

“Why mentioning Engineer Adokie Tombomieye, a supposed Ijaw man in the matter under reference?”

“Has he done anything wrong in being part of the team that awarded the contract to PINL abinitio? How does the award of the contracts to PINL and other surveillance contract companies by an Ijaw man made it difficult for PINL to deliver and perform? Did we question the award of the contracts to PINL and other companies abinitio?”

“We expected a succinct response to allegations of poor performance, aiding and abetting crude oil theft and desperation by Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan to reward a non-performing contactor for ethnic hegemony.”

” We spoke about non-performance of PINL, a germane issue the errand hands failed to address in the rebuttal.
Dropping Adokie Tombomieye’s name can’t wish the issues away.”

“The signatories didn’t explain why oil bunkering, theft and assets vandalism are prevalent in the areas under the supervision of the monarch’s PINL, that is, Rivers and Imo States. Nor did they say anything on the 112 oil theft cases within 7 days in December 2023, majority of which occurred in the areas under the watch of PINL. Or these infractions were caused by the award of the contracts to PINL and other companies by Adokie Tombomieye, an Ijaw man?”

“They also skipped to comment on the incessant attacks and pillage in Trans-Forcados Pipelines in Delta state. Oil production in the area was completely crippled when PINL held the surveillance contract. Reports has it that it was due to connivance with criminal elements.”

“The PINL contract in the area was terminated and re-awarded to Industrial – Wide Security.”

“Today, the Trans-Forcados Pipelines is at peace. And why were some PINL’s contracts terminated and re-awarded to Industrial-Wide Security?”

” They also have explanations to why their area of surveillance became a haven for criminal gangs and oil theft.”

“Silence is said to be golden, but it is also an acquiescence to guilt.”

“It is a shame that the Olu of Warri could not find credible people in the employ of PINL to speak for him and defend Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan.”

“The hired nitwits made a poor showing. It is the company that should have shown its CAC registration documents and proffered statement to whether the Olu is a board member or not.”

” Everything done so far on behalf of the Olu and PINL shows there is more than meets the eyes.”

“Our position remains that PINL and Olu have under performed and should not be given additional contracts, nor their scope of operation expanded.”

“It becomes a scam when people are rewarded for failure.”

“Ethnic favouritism and loyalty blinded Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan to the needs of other natives in the Niger Delta. It is an ethnic agenda of Itsekiri to deny Urhobo of patronage, if the privilege rest on them, and that is what Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan is doing at the NNPCL.”

“She deliberately refused to incorporate Urhobo in the pipelines surveillance jobs while she wants her monarch to cart away everything. “

“To restore credibility and neutrality to the NNPCL, Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, must be relieved of her position without delay.”

Signed:
EJIROGHENE MARIERE
PRESIDENT