By Godwin ORITSE

THE recent  maritime security contract awarded to Chief Government Ekpemupolo, aka Tompolo did not only raised dust amongst politicians and players in the maritime industry, it has also received international condemnation.

The highly respected Wall street Journal about two weeks ago castigated the Nigerian government for patronizing bandits and turning them into billionaires.

The contract which was not thrown up for bidding was facilitated for approval by the management of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety agency (NIMASA) headed by Mr. Patrick Akpobolokemi.

The contract is a form of agreement between the Federal Government and Global West Vessels Specialist Limited which indicates that the security of the nation’s coastal waters by the agreement was concessioned to the firm.

The contract, Akpobolokemi explained that firm will only be paid if and when NIMASA as an entity makes profit due to the company’s intervention in reducing or eliminating the issue of oil theft and piracy on the nation’s coastal waters.

This arrangement does not include the N49.7million paid to Global West Vessels on a monthly for monitoring the waters in Lagos.

The proposal to monitor Lagos waters has been in NIMASA for more than four years as the two previous directors general did not see the need for it.

The promoters of the Lagos angle of the deal proposed that it can offer to monitor the Lagos waters for free, but that N50million be paid to the firm for the fueling of the four or five rickety and smoky boats and pay the boys that will be responsible for the boats which the firm said it donated to NIMASA.

This was about the very first deal that Akpobolokemi approved for Tompolo when he assumed office in December 2011.

As at the time of this report, the said amount of money is still being paid to Global West vessels on a monthly basis.

The claim that the issue of oil theft has reduced by 70% by Akpobolokemi has been debunked by operators and marine security experts who wondered how the NIMASA boss arrived at that figure.

Reacting to the claim of reducing oil theft by 70%, President of Master Mariners Association of Nigeria (MMAN) Captain Jimi Adu, challenged the NIMASA management to substantiate their claims with data and proof adding that the international Oil Companies (OICs) have been sustaining loses for some time.

Adu, who debunked Akpobolokemi’s claims adding that some of the major oil firms operating in the Niger Delta area have been sustaining losses for some time. “May be the attack on vessels and platforms have reduced but that is not to say that we have gotten to where we are going.”

According Captain Solomon Prebo, a Warri based marine pilot said that he can speak of the situation in Delta state adding that the issue of oil theft reduced.

He also stated that the issue of theft in the Niger Delta area is a serious cartel noting that in Bayelsa state oil theft is very much on but in collaboration with some members of the Joint Task Force (JTF)who are heavily in the unwholesome practice.

Mr. Zeb Ikokide, vice Chairman of the Port Facility Security Officers Forum said that s aid that the claim by the NIMASA’s Director General is a far cry from what is obtainable on the coastal waters. “They can say these things because they are the beneficiaries of the contract.

Ikokide explained that port security personnel working in and around the maritime industry including oil rigs and other platforms are in better position to say the true position of the situation with regards to the issue of oil theft.