Reps panel clears PINL, Okunbor of corruption allegations, backs pipeline contract extension
A House of Reps committee has cleared Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited and its MD of corruption allegations, recommending an extension of its contra Read More:…
Pipeline vandalism and crude oil theft have for years ranked among the biggest drains on Nigeria's oil revenue, prompting successive governments to outsource surveillance of pipeline infrastructure to private security contractors working alongside the military and communities along the pipeline routes. These arrangements have often drawn scrutiny over cost, transparency and the criteria used to award or renew contracts, given the huge sums involved and the strategic importance of pipeline assets to the country's oil and gas export earnings.
The House of Representatives Committee on Host Communities took up a petition alleging corruption against Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL) and its managing director, Mele Kyari's... actually unknown name Okunbor, examining claims before concluding that the petitioners failed to substantiate the allegations. Both Vanguard and Punch report that the committee dismissed the petition and went further to recommend that PINL's pipeline surveillance contract be extended, though neither outlet's headline or dek indicates who filed the original petition, what specific allegations were made, or what the next steps are for formalising the contract extension — details likely to emerge as the committee's full report is released.