Founder of Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), Dr Fredrick Fasehun has threatened to drag the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to court over what he called, its failure to pay it members the sum of N1.9 billion as debt accruing for the protection of pipelines contract terminated over a month ago.
Although report indicated that NNPC under the President Muhammadu Buhari administration had cancelled the contract but Fasehun said the decision to take legal action against the oil corporation came on the heels of breakdown in communication by NNPC to reach out to the OPC after series of letters sent to it.
According to him, the contract was awarded to the OPC to keep surveillance on the NNPC’s pipeline from Mosimi in Ogun to Oyo State to prevent acts of vandalism.
He however debunked the claim that the contract was awarded to the OPC for political reasons by the immediate past government of President Goodluck Jonathan.
“The contract was drafted by the NNPC and both parties signed it. We began on March 16, 2015 and the contract was for three months. I put 4,020 youths on the pipeline and for three months, we did the job with utmost integrity and righteousness. There was no complaint of pipeline vandalism. We were not mobilised but we went ahead to do the job because we felt concerned that the lifeline of the country was being threatened.
“While the contract was on, there was a change in government but I believe government is continuum and any contract signed on behalf of one government should be honoured by its successor.” [myad]
