The Ex-Militant leader, High Chief Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo speaking through his Executive Secretary, Mr. Paul Bebenimibo, has revealed contrary to people’s assumption,  that the oil contract which he was a chairman of the board of the directors, was actually a one-year pilot scheme which expired in February 2012.

He purported that the operations of Oil Facility Surveillance Limited, a security company which he was the chairman of the board of directors was successful within the one year the contract lasted, stating that many stakeholders in the oil industry, including the present Group Managing Director, GMD of Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Mr. Andrew Yakubu, had attested to it during one of his television interviews.

According to the Chief Ekpemupolo who spoke through his Executive Secretary, the contract sum was between OFSL and the Presidency, adding that they would not disclose the contract sum because it is a security issue.

He claimed however that due process was followed in the award of the contract and that invoice was usually sent to NNPC with evidence of work done each month before payment was made, stating that about 5,000 workers were engaged.

Pertaining the issue of the multi-billion naira contract with Federal Government through NIMASA, to secure the coastal borders, he said that the Federal government had through NIMASA, awarded the contract to Global West Vessel Specialist limited, GWVLS and not to him, Chief Government Ekpemupolo neither is he in the board of GWVSL.

He further revealed that he was only approached by the management of the company to help it in carrying out its operations because of his vast knowledge of the coastal areas.

Chief Ekpemupolo said on the terms and value of the contract with the GWVSL that no dime was given to GWVSL, and that it is what comes out of the operations that will be shared between the Federal Government, NIMASA and GWVSL, stressing that if there is no increase in the revenue of NIMASA, the GWVSL will not get any money.

He clares the popular accusations which alleged that the company was unable to live up to expectation, stating that there is no contract for now, asserting that the OFSL fought crude oil bunkers to a standstill during it operations in Delta State.

Commenting on whether the oil companies are truthful in their report about the sharp increase in the oil theft, he submitted that they may not be telling the truth, adding that it could be a strategy to deceive the government since the actual amount produced daily in the country is not certain.

He revealed that the identity of those responsible for the crude oil theft can only be unravelled through a high-powered investigation, unravelling that the activity is a business for the rich.

He suggested that the government can effectively check illegal crude oil activities by renewing the surveillance of oil facilities contract in Delta, Bayelsa and Rivers States, as well as expand the job to other oil-bearing states.

“Performance can be measured by regular meetings with stakeholders, while the Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR, must wake up and live up to expectation,” he said.

Mr. Ekpemupolo admitted that within one year the contract lasted in Delta State, there were threats to the lives of operators of OFSL, inadequate salary for workers, because  NNPC only approved N30,000 for ordinary workers and N36,000 for supervisors against the proposed amount of N100,000 for ordinary workers and N120,000 for supervisors by the OFSL.

“Even at that, OFSL was paying its proposed amount because no one working in a coastal like ours will accept such paltry amount of money for a month. To do otherwise would be to the detriment of the company,” he added.

He concluded that there were no storage facilities for impounded crude oil, as well as the refined products.