The Senate has endorsed the N48billion oil pipeline surveillance contract by the Federal Government to Mr Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, a former Niger Delta militant leader.
Sen.Albert Akpan, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Petroleum (Upstream) said this on Tuesday in Abuja, when he spoke with newsmen shortly after presenting the report of Senate ad hoc committee on oil lifting, theft and the impact on petroleum production and oil revenues.
Bassey said there was nothing wrong engaging non-state actors to secure oil pipelines in as much as the contract was yielding desired results.
He said oil theft has reduced the country’s oil production capacity and has resulted in the loss of about 2 billion dollars revenue since the beginning of the year.
Bassey said that major export facilities, like the Bonny and Forcados Terminals, were shut down for a over seven months due to pipeline vandalism and oil theft.
He, however, said the recent pipeline surveillance contract to address oil theft was yielding positive results as the country’s oil production capacity has increased.
