The Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse III, has challenged Niger Delta figure Asari Dokubo to provide documentary evidence to substantiate his allegation that the monarch and other individuals receive N2.7 trillion annually from pipeline surveillance contracts.
The challenge was contained in a statement issued on Tuesday by Prince Collins Oritsetjmeyin Edema, the Sole Representative of the Olu of Warri to NNPC Limited and its joint-venture partners.
Dokubo had recently questioned the award of pipeline surveillance contracts to certain individuals and companies, alleging that the Olu of Warri and others benefit to the tune of N2.7 trillion every year.
Responding to the allegation, Edema described the claim as extraordinary and said it was important to address it publicly because of its potential implications for the reputation of the monarch and the sensitivity surrounding pipeline surveillance operations in the Niger Delta.
He said Dokubo’s latest intervention must also be viewed against the background of his longstanding public profile and his association with militancy, confrontation and a combative style of political expression.
Edema, however, stressed that statements concerning the Olu of Warri, Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL), Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, and other stakeholders could have consequences beyond the immediate dispute, particularly in a politically and ethnically sensitive environment.
According to him, pipeline surveillance contracts should not be treated as ordinary commercial arrangements because the infrastructure involved constitutes a critical national asset.
He noted that the security of the nation’s oil pipelines has direct implications for crude oil production, government revenue, foreign exchange earnings and the broader stability of the Nigerian economy.
Edema further warned that the Niger Delta had historically borne significant consequences from politics driven by confrontation and inflammatory rhetoric.
He said it would be unfortunate if what he described as old patterns of militancy and unguarded public statements were allowed to revive ethnic tensions that stakeholders have been working to overcome.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the allegation that the Olu of Warri receives N2.7 trillion annually from pipeline surveillance contracts is categorically rejected,” the statement said.
Edema added: “We challenge Mr Dokubo to produce the documentary evidence upon which this extraordinary claim is based.”
The statement said the response was necessary not only because of the potential reputational implications for the monarch but also because of the strategic importance of pipeline surveillance to the Nigerian state.
It urged relevant institutions of the federal government to take note of the allegation and the demand for evidence.
Dokubo, who is also known by traditional titles including Da Amakiri Tubo, Dabaye Amakiri I, Amakiri Ekpeke and Amanyanabo of the Source, is the traditional ruler of Elem Kalabari, also referred to as Torusarama Piri, in Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The latest exchange adds to a continuing public dispute over pipeline surveillance contracts, the management of Nigeria’s oil infrastructure and the roles of traditional rulers and other stakeholders in the Niger Delta.
