How NNPC, NAPIMS funds for N’Delta was squandered for 13 years     

A document showing how billions of naira from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the National Petroleum Investment Services (NAPIMS), was pumped into military/security operations in the Niger Delta in the past 13 years, and was squandered has surfaced.
The document dated April 30, 2010, and signed by Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, who was at the time Petroleum Resources Minister, shows that huge amounts went to each of the armed forces and the police under the scheme.
The document entitled, “Payments On Behalf Of Federal Government Re: Logistics Support for Security Operations in The Niger Delta From 2003 To Date,” was addressed by the Minister to Mr. Goodluck Jonathan who was at the time of the document Nigeria’s Acting President.
“We wish to apprise Your Excellency that between 2006 and 2007, the sum of $745million was approved for the Arms of Services and the Nigerian Police Force for funding of security expenses in the Niger Delta,” states the document in its opening paragraph.
The approved amount was sourced from NAPIMS JV Cash Call budget and Federal Government dividends from NLNG, and was utilized.
Giving a breakdown of how much was given to each arm of service and the police, Alison-Madueke wrote that $220million was approved for the Army, $185million was approved for the Nigerian Air Force; $160million was approved for the Nigerian Navy; and
$180million for the Nigeria Police Force.
For the 2008 and 2009 fiscal years, a total of $400million from the NAPIMS JV Cash Call budgets was also appropriated for security in the Niger Delta.
According to the document, a total of $221.171million was earmarked for security in the Niger Delta as follows: $46.8million to the Defence Intelligence Agency for logistics for security;
$158.7million to the Navy for patrol boats; and $11.1million to the Presidential Implementation Committee on Maritime Security and Safety (PICOMSS).  That committee was eventually scrapped.
This, revealed the document, left a balance of $178.83million appropriated in 2008 and 2009.
Despite the huge cash already given out, Alison-Madueke went on to make additional requests totaling $154.11million, and yet another, of $35.75million. The additional requests, said the Minister in the document, were already with the NNPC awaiting Jonathan’s approval for payment.
Broken down the Army made an additional request of $48.75million; the Nigeria Police Force, $15.70million; and PICOMSS, $86.66million.  Of the $35.75million also requested by the Minister, and captured as “commitments from the Arms of Service”, $5.34million was to go to the Army, $0.07million to the Police, $7.29million to the Navy and $23.05million to the Police.
The Niger Delta agitation has been one of concern both for Nigeria and international bodies, who have clamoured that little or nothing has been done either to ease the high-rate poverty level of the region, or in terms of security of the oil and gas pipelines.
However, despite evidences of billions of naira already given to the military for purchasing of security equipment for the region, there have been little or no trace of how the money was spent over the years.
The crisis in the oil producing region has since degenerated into springing up of fractions of oil militants, notably among them are the Movement for Emancipation of Niger Delta, MEND, and the Niger Delta Avengers, NDA.