- President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered the stoppage of the US$103 million contract between exmilitant commander, Government Ekpemupolo aka Tompolo’s Global West Vessel Specialist Nigeria Limited and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency in 2011.
- A highly placed source in NIMASA’s Finance Department told Sunday Telegraph that the agency had indeed stopped paying GWVSNL for the controversial US$103m contract. GWVSNL, believed to owned by Tompolo secured the contract in 2011 to provide patrol boats and communication equipment for NIMASA. It was to also maintain, bunker and crew the boats and would only be paid when surpasses its revenue target and reach a certain benchmark.
“We have not paid him since July and I’m not sure he will be paid again,” the source said. According to him, the agency stopped making payments to Global West after NIMASA’s Director-General, Patrick Akpobolokemi, was sacked by the Federal Government on July 16. He further disclosed that the agency was directed by the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Transport, Mallam Mohammed Bashar, to discontinue payment to GWVSNL for the provision of platforms for security of Nigeria’s waterways.
The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, further said; “The company has submitted two invoices since the former DG was removed from office but NIMASA will not pay. Our current DG will not honour any such commitment.”
- The source further hinted that NIMASA’s legal department was studying the contract between NIMASA and GWVSNL, with a view to fully revoking the controversial contract.The source alleged that GWVSNL was paid half of the $150m (N30 billion) collected from Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas.
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