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Nigeria: MEND Disagrees With NNPC On 12 Million Naira Fee for Militants
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Vanguard (Lagos)
24 July 2008
Posted to the web 24 July 2008
Emma Amaize
The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), yesterday, dismissed the claim by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) that it paid N12 million per month to militants as protection fee when it carried out repairs on the damaged Chanomi Creek oil pipeline in Delta State, some months ago, saying the money was paid to a gang of criminals and not militant freedom fighters.
It also threatened to blow up the Chanomi Creek pipeline in the next 30 days, as a proof that the MEND was not part of the so-called protection racket.
Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Abubakar Lawal Yar'Adua had told the members of the House of Representatives Committee on Finance investiga-ting remittances into the Federation Accounts by Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) on Tuesday that the contractors paid N12 million per month to the militants as protection fee to supervise the pipelines when the Chanomi Creek pipeline was being repaired instead of the $30 million dollars they requested per month.
The NNPC boss who was very appreciative of the co-operation that was extended to the company when the repairs was carried out announced an approval of N7.5 million by the corporation for the provision of water projects in Gbaramatu kingdom in February.
He said the group expended N50 million on the job instead of the N107 million it was initially charged due to assistance the people rendered.
In Yar'Adua's thinking, the NNPC saved the country money, as the successful repairs of the pipelines allowed the Warri Refinery and Petrochemical Company (WRPC), Warri and the Kaduna Refinery to come back to life after it went comatose after the attack and stoppage of work in 2006 following the destruction of the lines by militants.
But the spokesman for the militant group, Jomo Gbomo in a statement, maintained, "MEND is aware that huge payments have been made to some criminal gangs in Delta State as protection fee. This gang is not a genuine part of the Niger Delta agitation for justice but a front for the Delta State governor for such extortions. They can not be labeled as militant freedom fighters.
"From our knowledge, the NNPC disbursed over $25 million for the scam, which was shared by the top commanders of the military Joint Task Force, senior government officials in the Delta State governors office, top management staff in the NNPC and the Presidency," he said.
According to him, "MEND will never sell it's birthright for a bowl of porridge when the impoverished masses in the region continue to live in abject poverty.
"It is for refusing such bribes that Henry Okah is still being held captive today. To prove that we are not a part of this deal, the Chanomi Creek pipeline and other major pipelines will be destroyed within the next 30 days."
Commander of the Joint Task Force (JTF) on the Niger-Delta, Brigadier-General Nanven Rimtip laughed, yesterday, when he was contacted by Vanguard on the allegation by the MEND that top commanders of the task force shared $25 million with senior officials of the Delta State government, top management staff of the NNPC and the Presidency, saying, "It's a pack of lies".
His words: "I don't know that there is any money that was received or being shared in the JTF and I think, as the Commander, I should know if there is any such money. What I can tell you is that it is all propaganda.
"Like what I have always told you in the past, these people said they have ceased fire but it is not true, they are looking for ways to start something. They don't even like their people they said they are fighting for.
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How can they be talking about blowing up the Chanomi pipeline when you know that will pollute the water and endanger the water their people are drinking. I know they can afford to buy sachet water with the money they are collecting. What of the poor villagers in the creek?" he asked.
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