Tompolo's Pipeline Surveillance Contract Angers Northern Youths
- News filtered into the Nigerian media space that ex-militant leader, Tompolo will get 4billion monthly from the federal government
- Tompolo and his boys are expected to protect pipelines and stop illegal bunkering in the Niger Delta region
- Some Arewa youth groups have kicked against the decision of the government and called for the sack of the minister of state for petroleum
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Kaduna - The Amalgamated Arewa Youth Groups have kicked against the award of a pipeline surveillance contract worth over N4billion monthly to a former Niger Delta militant, Government Ekpemupolo, otherwise known as Tompolo, by the Nigerian National Petroleum Limited.
The group handed down a seven-day ultimatum within which the federal government or the NNPC to revoke the contract or be forced to either protest or take legal action.
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The group also called on President Muhammadu Buhari to sack the minister of state for petroleum, Timipre Sylva; and director, upstream of the NNPC Ltd, Adokiye Tombomelye, for facilitating the deal.
The organisation, comprising a coalition of 225 youth groups from the 19 northern states and Abuja, said the seeming triumph of people like Tompolo over Nigeria’s Armed Forces, is a clear case of abdication of responsibilities.
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A statement by the group’s spokesman, Victor Duniya, and issued in Kaduna on Saturday, August 21 read in part:
“We are particularly concerned that in the early days of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration when Tompolo was declared wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, there was uncontrolled bombing of oil facilities in Niger Delta, which contributed in so small measure in dragging Nigeria into recession .
“Our group sees the awarded contract as empowerment scheme for Niger Delta youths and nothing more. This is in addition to the billions of naira that is being spent in the failed Amnesty Programme that is exclusively reserved for them.
“This is against the spirit and letters of our constitution that advocates for federal character in all government dealings.”
Tompolo wins multi-million dollar contract from FG to curb oil theft
Legit.ng had earlier reported that the federal government renewed a multi-million dollar pipeline surveillance contract to Tompolo.
The government and NNPC Limited signed the deal with Tompolo to end illegal bunkering, illegal refining and other forms of oil theft in the Niger Delta.
A source close to Tompolo said the deal was worth over N4billion monthly.
Nigerian govt chasing shadows on crude oil theft, says Siasia
Recall that a Niger Delta youth leader, Moses Siasia, recently said the federal government is chasing shadows in its quest to tackle the scourge of crude oil theft in the region.
Siasia lamented that governors in the region have neglected governance and are instead focusing on building public infrastructure, which may not necessarily impact the lives of the teeming youths of the Niger Delta.
This, he said, may make it difficult for oil theft to end in the region.
Source: Legit.ng
