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Opinion: Eraskorp, OMS, NNPC and Parable of The Talent

Published

7 years ago

January 18, 2019

Editor

By Orobosa Omo-Ojo
For days, I ponder on how to approach this topic, just then, I realised that the Parable of the Talents in the Holy Book of Mathew, provides a helpful framework to illustrate the media circus that has been on the road for a while now.
The Parable of the Talents is not about salvation or works righteousness, but about how we use our work to fulfil our earthly callings. It is about whole-life stewardship, or “Stewardship with a capital ‘S‘.”
The unfaithful steward in this parable did not so much waste the master’s money – he wasted an opportunity. As a result, he was judged wicked and lazy. We are responsible for what we do for God with what we have been given, and one day we will be held responsible.
‘Talent’ usually refers to ability, but in this parable, it is used as a measure for money. Greek sources state that one talent was equivalent to the money worth twenty years of labour done by a common person or helper.
This parable discusses the trusting nature of a master towards his servant and the responsibility of a servant towards his master. It also highlights the need for faithfulness and obedience, not only when the master is around, but also when he is not.
We are told a story of how a Chief Executive assigned responsibilities to his agents, while he was away on a trip. Upon his return, he assessed the productivity of each servants or if you like, the caretakers. He evaluated them according to their faithfulness and creativity in protecting his investment.
It is clear from the story that even the rich Pharisee was interested in making some profit from his investment. A gain indicated faithfulness on the part of the servants. And this gain could be possible, only if the servants play their caretakers role diligently. The measure of rewards was based on how each has handled his assignment. He judged two servants as having been “faithful” and rewarded them positively. The unfaithful servant got query and was not compensated.
According to theologians, another version of the parable of talents was provided by Eusebius of Caesarea from a “Gospel written in Hebrew script”. In that gospel, Eusebius wrote that, while the man who had hid the talent was rebuked for his wasteful approach to business. The man who had received two talents had invested and gained a return on his investment, the recipient of the five talents instead “wasted his master’s possessions and trust with harlots and flute-girls”. The Hebrew Gospel also revealed that this ‘prodigal man’ was sent into the darkness, and Eusebius expressly identified the darkness as being imprisonment.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) aptly fits the role of the rich Hebrew man in the ‘Parable of Talents’. It is the statutory responsibility of the company to manage Nigeria natural resources on behalf of the government. NNPC in turn, also employ the services of individuals and corporate entities to ensure service delivery. Bearing this truism in mind, Nigerians became curious and confused with the imbroglio that has trailed the award of contract for Trans Forcados Pipeline the security surveillance to the preferred company – Ocean Marine Solutions (OMS).
Unlike the characters in the ‘Parable of Talents’, three principal actors are in the ongoing ‘black gold’ thriller’ – Eraskorp, Ocean Marine Solutions and the NNPC. At the heart of the contest is the ‘Trans Forcados Pipeline’ (TFP) surveillance contract. According to the management of Eraskorp, the company was contracted by NNPC to provide security and surveillance services for the pipelines and the resources they convey, until recently when the contract was terminated by NNPC due to poor service delivery.
The corporation had stated in a press statement signed by Ndu Ughamadu, that the nation lost 11 million barrels of crude oil, worth $800 million, whilst the TFP was placed under the watch of Eraskorp when their contract subsisted. But in another release, Eraskorp dismissed NNPC claim as “redundant falsehood”, insisting that its effort was geared to making positive impacts in the Nigeria oil industry.
Eraskorp also challenged NNPC to provide Nigerians with cogent evidence of the “spurious claim”. The company then distanced itself from the responsibility of safeguarding the Trans Forcados Pipelines, just as it claimed that “a surveillance contractor cannot be held liable for production shut-ins due to technical hitches.
“The NNPC is fully aware that the so-called losses have nothing to do with the performance of our contract and is just a convenient excuse for their own misconduct”. The narratives so far, points to a situation of no going back, with the ‘fight-to-finish’ attitude of Eraskorp against the management of NNPC who they also accused of failing to follow due process in re-awarding the surveillance contract for the protection of TFP to OMS.
Several questions should be begging for answers from Eraskop and NNPC. Principal amongst which is the status of the former contract that was terminated – was there a determination clause, based on performance? Did Eraskorp deliver on its mandate to protect the TFP? Is it true that NNPC and Nigeria lost 11 million barrels oil worth $800 million under the watch of Eraskorp? Conversely, NNPC management had backed their claims with verifiable documents that the TFP was a major waste conduit during the period they contracted Eraskorp to protect the pipelines. The corporation was short of accusing Eraskorp of economic sabotage. Like the man who was given a single talent, in my opening story, Eraskorp management have safely distanced itself and laid the losses squarely on the Operation and Maintenance (O&M) division of NNPC. This attitude is completely wrong and negates against good business ethical values.
But how could this be? From the understanding of the workings in NNPC, the failure or inability of the O&M division is the primary reason why the Eraskorp was contracted to watch over the Trans Forcados Pipelines in the first instance and for this, the company admitted to have been paid $1.5 million each month. Eraskorp argument is merely an attempt by an inefficient contractor to evade responsibility.
By the way, NNPC decision to discontinue with Eraskorp and enter a new contract with a more technical oriented company is based on the “ Proof of Concept”, basically because OMS has successfully prevented oil thieves from bursting the Escravos-Warri and Bonny-Port Harcourt pipelines since they entered into surveillance agreement with company. This is the basis and justification for the use of “Proof of Concept” methodology for the re-award of the TFP surveillance contract to Ocean Marine Solutions, after the failure of Eraskorp to protect the TCP. Like the rich Hebrew merchant, NNPC can only reward her performing contractor, not the ‘servant’ that went frolicking and wasted his master’s trust with “harlots and flute-girls”. The ineffective servant was sent into the darkness, which has been interpreted by theologians as imprisonment. Today, the only place fit for economic saboteurs in Nigeria remains the prison.
But what may be the real reason for Eraskorp’s objection to the discontinuation of their TFP surveillance contract? Could this be because of their proclaimed “national interest”? Or, is the fight akin to the unnamed Hebrew woman who wanted the newborn child butchered, if she cannot claim ownership of the baby?
In economic disputes, the phrase – “splitting the baby” describes a compromise somewhere in the middle of the opposing parties’ (requested demands). The phrase comes from a dispute, where King Solomon faced a challenge where two women claimed the same infant child as theirs. Both women had given birth to a child in the same house and sadly, one of the babies died in sleep. The allegation was that the mother had switched the dead child for the living one, while the other mother slept. Solomon’s proposal was to cut the baby in half with a sword so that each could have half, as a solution to the dispute. However, when the real mother gave up her demand to save the child, Solomon knew who the mother was and handed the child to her.
The Trans Forcados Pipeline is Nigeria’s baby that needs to be protected from perilous attack from oil thieves and vandals. Eraskorp management must reconsider their present uncooperative stance with NNPC to prevent the continued loss of crude and revenue on the TFP. It is the responsibility of NNPC to select technical partners and vendors that they consider qualified to provide services to the corporation, including the TFP surveillance that is aimed at safeguarding the resources of Nigeria. A failure to do this, may amount to deliberate act of economic sabotage.

Hon. Orobosa Omo-Ojo, JP is Journalist and a former Commissioner for Oil and Gas writes from Lagos

Headline

Akpabio Lashes Out at Tinubu’s Critics, Says Nigeria Safe Despite Insecurity

Published

3 days ago

June 10, 2026

Eric

The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has urged Nigerians to be careful of those trying to kidnap for ransom.

Akpabio argued on Tuesday that those behind kidnapping are perpetuating the activity to create an impression that Nigeria is not safe.

Speaking in Abuja during the commissioning of road projects to mark President Bola Tinubu’s third year anniversary, Akpabio said some of the president’s critics have resorted to paying youths to cause mayhem.

Akpabio accused Tinubu’s critics of focusing on insecurity instead of policy and infrastructure.

“Minister you said that people claimed that nothing is happening in Nigeria under the administration of President Tinubu. If they did not say that, how will they go for election? he asked rhetorically.

“If you realize what is happening recently, when they realized that they can’t talk about projects, performance, good laws, transformation in the Petroleum industry, subsidy removal that have been promised Nigerians for decades, they can no longer talk about the high-rise buildings in Abuja such as the NRS building, they resorted to paying young people and recruiting them to cause mayhem in the country.

“Be very vigilant and be careful about people trying to kidnap for ransom. They are kidnapping in order to give the impression that Nigeria is not safe.

“Our men and women in uniform have done tremendously well but many people will not know and that is why I keep saying that the devil you see today, you will soon see them no more.

“Elections will come and go; elections will never be our end; we will see the end of elections; it will never see our end,” he said.

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The Search for Justice: ADC vs Tsoho

Published

5 days ago

June 8, 2026

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

From the first day the African Democratic Congress (ADC) took a new shape in July, 2025, in readiness to wrest power from the government of the day, crises, allegedly engineered by the President Bola Tinubu-led All Progressives Congress (APC), have remained its lot.

From the struggle for leadership positions to the fight to save itself from deregistration, the hitherto coalition and main opposition party, has remained in a battle for its life and existence. And has not relented in the search for lasting justice. This time, it has taken the law itself to court to ensure that justice is not only done, but seen to have been done.

It would be recalled that shortly after the the party ratified the election of Senator David Mark and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola as Chairman and Secretary of the party respectively, skirmishes were noticed among the rank and file of the party as a supposedly former deputy national chairman of the party, Nafiu Bala Gombe, claimed chairmanship of party, saying that since the founding chairman had resigned, it is constitutionally incumbent upon him to automatically assume the chairmanship role.

Gombe’s claims came on the heels of his ‘resignation’ from office, which paved the way for a new national executive of the party to be constituted. But his claims did not deter the party from carrying on with the formation and running of the party, including holding a keenly contested presidential primary election, which produced His Excellency, the former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. So Gombe went to court. Yet, Mark and Aregbesola carried on the running of the party.

As a result, Gombe had approached a court for an order restraining Mark leadership from parading themselves as leaders of the ADC pending the hearing and determination of his suit challenging their leadership.

He had also asked the court to issue another order against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), restraining it from recognizing the Mark leadership.

But in his ruling in the interlocutory application, Justice Emeka Nwite ordered Gombe to put the defendants on notice so that they appear before the court to show cause, why the application should not be granted.

Rather than appearing before the trial court to show cause, the defendant appealed to the Abuja division of the Court of Appeal, challenging the jurisdiction of the trial court to dabble into the matter they described as internal matters of the ADC.

The appellate court in dismissing the appeal for lacking in merit, ordered accelerated hearing in the suit and further ordered all parties to maintain status quo ante bellum.

Dissatisfied, Mark had approached the appellate court but, his appeal was dismissed and the matter returned to the trial court.

With the to and from nature of the cases involving the ADC leadership crisis, the party has accused judges of bias in favoring party detractors and disobedience to court rules among other malice, the party has taken a new route to obtain the much eluded justice, and that involves charging the custodians of the law to court.

Consequently, the ADC has filed a lawsuit before a High Court in Abuja involving the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, over concerns arising from the ongoing leadership dispute within the party.

Also joined in the suit is the National Judicial Council (NJC), which the party said had not addressed issues it raised regarding the handling of a case challenging the leadership of former Senate President, Senator David Mark, within the ADC.

The lawsuit, dated June 4, 2026, was filed by the National Welfare Secretary of the ADC, Nkemakolam Ukandu, who is seeking to be joined in Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025 instituted by Nafiu Bala Gombe against the Mark-led leadership of the party.

According to the suit, Ukandu expressed concerns about the handling of the matter and alleged that the actions of both Justice Tsoho and Justice Peter Lifu, the judge assigned to hear the case, could affect confidence in the proceedings.

The lawsuit further stated that the assignment of the case to Justice Lifu stirred concerns among some members of the party, who believe the process may not guarantee a fair hearing.

The legal action marks a fresh twist in the leadership dispute within the ADC, which has attracted significant political attention ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Aside Justice John Tsoho, other defendants are the National Judicial Council (NJC), and Justice Peter Lifu, a judge newly assigned to hear the suit challenging the Senator David Mark-led leadership of ADC.

The plaintiff, who was seeking to be joined in the Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025, brought by Nafiu Bala Gombe against the Mark-led leadership, accused the chief judge and Lifu of manifest bias, and willingness to do the biddings of persons against the interest of the party.

Ukandu, in the suit he personally filed at the Federal High Court, Abuja, faulted the chief judge for reassigning the suit to Lifu, in alleged disregard of the orders of the Supreme Court as well as Justice Emeka Nwite of the Abuja division of the Federal High Court, who initially heard the suit brought by Gombe against the party.

The plaintiff, in the suit marked FHC/ ABJ/ CS/ 1165/2026, recalled that an appeal from an interlocutory decision of Nwite rose to the Supreme Court, wherein the apex court on April 30, 2026, “made an order of remittance of Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025: Nafiu Bala Gombe VS. ADC & 4 ORS back to Justice Emeka Nwite for continuation of hearing of pending applications challenging the jurisdiction of the trial court.”

He stated that upon resumption of hearing before Nwite, the plaintiff wrote to the chief judge praying for a reassignment of the matter to another judge of the Honourable Court.

Ukandu stated, “All the defendants’ counsel, including counsel to the applicants seeking to be joined in this matter, opposed the said application by the plaintiff’s counsel and Hon. Justice Emeka Nwite thereafter adjourned the matter sine die pending the service of the said letter by the plaintiff’s on all the parties in the matter, outcome of the letter by the 2nd defendant and the furnishing of the CTC of the judgement of the Supreme Court to the court.

“Without complying with the orders of the Supreme Court and Hon. Justice Emeka Nwite, the 2nd Defendant in abuse of his judicial powers reassigned this matter,” to Lifu.

He added that the third defendant, on his part, pretending not to see the order of Nwite, went ahead and fixed the matter for hearing for June 3, 2026.

Ukandu further recalled that ADC had on May 7 informed the public through a press release that the chief judge had planned to reassign the case to another judge favourable to the plaintiff.

He said the party had “warned against such unethical practice but the 2nd Defendant despite the public outcry reassigned the suit to the 3rd Defendant who have been nick-named as ‘Wike Judges’.”

He stated that the third defendant had started presiding over the matter, despite taking judicial notice of the orders of the Supreme Court and Nwite, and that the matter came up for hearing before the third defendant.

Though neither the Federal High Court nor the National Judicial Council had publicly responded to the issues raised so far, it is imperative to to state that the ADC appears to have lost interest in both the judiciary, which it believe is kowtowing to the dictates of Gombe, and by extension the body language of the Federal Government.

The ADC appears to have managed to draw the sympathy of the public as a group known as the Grassroots Mobilization Network (GMN), has lent their voice to the supposed injustice leveled against the Mark-led ADC, raising concerns about the handling of the matter, and calling for transparency in the judicial process.

The group alleged that the judiciary was being used to target opposition parties.

The group expressed concern over what it described as growing public distrust in the judiciary and called on relevant authorities to ensure fairness and transparency in the handling of politically sensitive cases.

While Nigerians await the outcome of the litigation, and other resolution of other sundry issues arising from the ADC and the judiciary, the party is going ahead making last minute transparent efforts to nominate a suitable running mate to bear the presidential flag with the presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.

Among the party’s shortlists are the first runner-up in the presidential primary, Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Akinwumi Adesina, Emeka Ihedioha, Emeka Nwajiuba and Chief Dele Momodu.

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Gunmen Abduct Ex-Power Minister Adelabu’s Sister, Her Two Sons in Ibadan

Published

1 week ago

June 3, 2026

Eric

Suspected gunmen have abducted the sister of a former Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

The family of former minister and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) confirmed the abduction, disclosing that Mrs. Olaide John-Paul and her 12-year-old twin sons were kidnapped by the gunmen on Wednesday, June 3, 2026.

According to a statement issued by Adelabu’s media aide, Femi Awogboro, the victims were kidnapped at about 7:30am while Mrs. John-Paul was taking her children to school.

Mrs. John-Paul, the youngest of five children of Mrs. Olufunmilayo Aduke Adegoke Adelabu, reportedly retired voluntarily from her career at First Bank Pension Custodian in 2025 before relocating to Ibadan with her children.

She was said to be making arrangements to join her husband, who had earlier relocated to the US.

The family expressed deep concern over the development but stated that security agencies had already commenced efforts to rescue the victims and apprehend those responsible.

“We are pleased to confirm that security operatives have swung into action and preliminary investigations have commenced in earnest,” the statement partly read.

While appealing for calm, the family urged members of the public to refrain from spreading unverified information that could undermine ongoing rescue operations.

“We are deeply distressed by this unfortunate incident, but remain hopeful that the victims will be rescued safely. We appeal to the public to remain calm, avoid speculation and support ongoing efforts with prayers,” the statement added.

The family also called on anyone with useful information that could aid the rescue operation to promptly share such intelligence with security agencies through the appropriate channels.

It assured that it would continue to cooperate fully with law enforcement authorities and provide updates as investigations and rescue efforts progress.