in a bid to forestall the rising incidences of oil bunkering in the Niger Delta, the Federal Government has awarded Ex – Niger Delta militant commander, , Government Ekpemupolo,AKA Tompolo a pipeline Surveillance contract.
The contract said to be valued over N4 Billion monthly is expected to tackle illegal bunkering and raise the crude oil production capacity.
It would be recalled that a similar arrangement was made by the Goodluck Jonathan’s administration of which, the production level rose to more than two million barrels per day.
But the Buhari government on assumption in office, cancelled the contract and declared Tompolo wanted.. He was later exonerated of the allegations leveled against him.
The new contract is said to be brokered by the Minister of State for Petroleum Affairs,Timipre Sylva and top officials of the Nigeria National Petroleum Company ( NNPC)..
Currently, Nigeria produces about 1.2 million barrels per day while illegal bunkering activities account for over 700 barrels per day, making the country to lose its position as top oil producing nation in Africa.