Pipeline Contract: Kachikwu Doesn’t Deserve Blackmail for His Transparency – Group

By Sylvester Idowu in Warri

An oil monitoring group, the Niger Delta Indigenous Movement for Radical Change (NDIMRC) on Friday rose in defence of the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, saying he doesn’t deserve blackmail for his transparency in issues related to pipeline security contracts.

It described an online report accusing the minister of squandering millions of dollars on pipeline security as mischievous and in bad taste.

According to the report, he allegedly awarded security contracts to incompetent friends and family members.

The report also alleged that the minister abandoned his wife and children for another woman.

But in a swift reaction, NDIMRC in a press statement signed by its President, Nelly Emma, Secretary, John Sailor and Public Relations Officer (PRO), Stanley Mukoro, absolved the Minister of the sea of accusations levelled against him.

The Minister, according to the group is working with relevant Stakeholders in the Niger Delta Region to end vandalisation of oil Pipeline, adding that he would soon deploy modern technology to bury pipelines out of the reach of vandals.

“We are surprised that some Stakeholders in the Oil and Gas Industry are at it again, they have refused to see anything good in the Petroleum Resources Minister.  We should allow the Minister to remain focus on his national assignment.

These unnecessary distractions from some disgruntled stakeholders in the oil and gas industry, the group maintained, are not healthy for the present situation in the country.

While rising to the defence of the Minister, the group averred that; “It is not true that the Minister awarded Pipeline Security Contract to incompetent friends and family members. The Minister has been very transparent in all his dealings in the industry since he was appointed.

“The Minister for Petroleum Resources that we know never awarded Pipeline Security Contract to incompetent friends and family members. The records are there for everybody to see”, it added.

Further details later