By Jimitota Onoyume
The Sole Representative of the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse III, to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and its Joint Venture partners, Prince Collins Edema, has dismissed as untrue claims that the monarch receives N2.7 trillion annually from a pipeline surveillance contract.
Reacting to an allegation by His Majesty Asari Dokubo-Asari, Amanyanabo of the Source, Elem Kalabari (Torusarama Piri), Rivers state, in a trending video on social media, in which he claimed the Olu of Warri earns such a sum annually from the pipeline surveillance job Edema in a statement yesterday said the allegation was devoid of facts.
The statement reads: “The attention of the Sole Representative of His Majesty Ogiame Atuwatse III, CFR, the Olu of Warri to NNPC Limited, has been drawn to the recent public allegation by Mr. Asari Dokubo that His Majesty receives the sum of N2.7 trillion annually from pipeline surveillance contracts.
“Given the extraordinary nature of this allegation, its potential implications for the reputation of the Olu of Warri, and, more importantly, the strategic importance of pipeline surveillance to the Nigerian state, we consider it necessary to respond publicly and directly to the relevant institutions of the Federal Government.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the allegation that the Olu of Warri receives N2.7 trillion annually from pipeline surveillance contracts is categorically rejected.
“We challenge Mr. Dokubo to produce the documentary evidence upon which this extraordinary claim is based.
“If there are concerns about a pipeline-security arrangement, the relevant contracts, procurement processes, corporate records, government approvals, performance reports and regulatory documents should be examined. If wrongdoing is alleged, the appropriate institutions should investigate and establish the facts. And if no wrongdoing is established, politically charged allegations should not be allowed to substitute for evidence.”
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