Tompolo's surveillance contract: APC Reps candidate faults Arewa youths

*Tompolo

(Nigeria) The House of Representatives candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, for Ilaje/Ese-Odo Federal Constituency in Ondo State,  Donald Ojogo, has berated what he described as "unexciting " opposition by some northern youth groups to the oil pipeline e contract awarded to the leader and founder of the defunct Movement for the Emnacipation of the Niger Delta,  Government Ekpemupolo,  alias Tompolo.

Ojogo specifically lamented the "gross ignorance" exhibited by the Amalgamated Arewa Youth Groups which lampooned the President Muhammadu Buhari led Federal Government for bending backwards to appease Tompolo.

But Ojogo, who is the immediate past Commissioner for Information in Ondo State, said the decision of President Buhari, through the NNPC to review the situation in the Niger Delta was a good development that should be applauded by all lovers of the nation.

In a chat with newsmen in Abuja, the House of Representatives candidate, said: "It's worrisome that some economic illiterates and persons blinded by ethnic sentiment could exhibit such ignorance to that extent.

"For the records, these enemies of growth and inclusiveness have every told the world that haemorrhaging economy occasioned by the avoidable economic sabotage did not worth any attention from the government.

"Without being immodest, the AAYG's pposition shows how unconcerned some persons could be even in the face of excruciating economic conditions. The group, while allowing itself to be used to propagate hate, ought to have had holistic appraisal of the economic devastation the nation experienced.

"It is clear that AAYG neither knows what it has dabbled into or merely making self available to create unnecessary distraction from a worthy move embarked upon by the Federal Government. "Tompolo has a clear, unambiguous record of an immeasurable experience in the area under review; as such, his engagement can only engender economic stimulation as a result of increased oil production output.

"If for one thing, President Buhari deserves commendation for this undeniably nationalistic posture. By this decision to get locals, especially the likes of Tompolo involved, the nation shall heave a sigh of relief as a result of increased economic growth."

The Arewa youths, while lamenting what they termed an alleged romance between the Federal Government and Tompolo said: “We received the news of the award of pipeline surveillance contract worth over N4b, by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Limited to Mr. Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, a former leader of the Movement for Emancipation of Niger Delta with rude shock.”

Spokesman of AAYG, Victor Duniya, in a statement in Kaduna, said: “Our group gathered that the said contract is meant to end illegal bunkering, illegal refining, and other forms of oil theft in the Niger Delta.

“We are particularly concerned that in the early days of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration when Tompolo was declared wanted by the EFCC, there was the uncontrolled bombing of oil facilities in the Niger Delta, which contributed in so small measure to dragging Nigeria into recession.”

The northern coalition lamented that “it is most unfortunate that the our government and management of the NNPC Limited will submit themselves cheaply to the blackmail of a man whose major business initiative is to raise arms against the state, and assemble cultists from his region, in his country home to do his bidding, as the major qualification to be awarded contract to protect oil installations in the Niger Delta region of our country.”

Duniya pointed out that “the seeming triumph of people like Tompolo over our armed forces, is a clear case of abdication of responsibilities,” stressing “otherwise 1, 000, 000 of his likes wouldn’t succeed against 200, 000,000 Nigerians.”

He said: “We are however not surprised that the Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor, who ought to have rallied the armed forces to restore peace in the Niger Delta, the same way he is doing in the South East, South West and the Boko Haram ravaged North East, shows that he has allowed the Niger Delta solidarity to overtake national interest, a virtue our armed forces is known for.”, while calling for his resignation, along with other service chiefs.

Duniya remarked that reports at the disposal of the Arewa Youths, “attributed the award of the contract to the roles Honourable Minister of State for Petroleum, Timipre Sylva, and Group Executive Director of the NNPC Limited, Upstream, Engr. Adokiye Tombomelye played,” alleging that “they are said to be people who brokered the deal.”

Subsequently, they called on President Buhari to sack Sylva, and Tombomelye, for promoting ethnic and regional interest over national interest and Mele Kyari, NNPC’s GMD for using his office to reward criminality and treasonable tendencies instead of patriotism.

They also want the CDS, Irabor, and service chiefs sacked for failure to use the instrument of coercion at their disposal to end oil bunkering in the Niger Delta, we wish to also, suggest that Tomopolo be Appointed as the Chief of Defence Staff since he has been found competent to whip oil thieves to the line. The role the service chiefs have consistently failed to play.