Pipeline surveillance: Groups kick against Tompolo’s contract renewal

Two pressure groups, the Arewa Youth Congress (AYC) and the Northern youth Advocacy for Good Governance Initiative (NYAGGI), have called on the President Bola Tinubu-led federal government not to renew the pipeline surveillance contract awarded to ex-militant leader, Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo.

The groups made this known during a peaceful protest at the headquarters of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) in Abuja on Tuesday.

The protesters held placards, some of which read: “Tompolo’s Pipeline Surveillance is a Fraud”, “President Tinubu, please save Nigeria from these jackals”, “NNPC Now An Osusu Ministry” and “Sack and Probe Mele Kyari Now”.

Addressing newsmen, Musa Adebayo, President of AYC, who spoke on behalf of the groups, said the multi-billion naira contract awarded to Tompolo by the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari has been enmeshed in controversy, failing to tame the crisis it was meant to address.

Adebayo said: “We shall be failing in our duties and responsibilities as Patriotic Citizens if we do not restate our commitment to ideals of development and nation building.

“It is hence a major matter of concern how much concerted efforts are being made to re-award the pipeline surveillance contract to an ex-militant general, despite the tension, financial malfeasance, disinformation and abnormalities that are inherent in the contract.

“We expect that the Federal Government interest should be centered knowing the true cost of the pipeline surveillance contract as awarded as fresh facts and figures continue to emerge in the media.”

“As concerned citizens we understand that the country is too tense to allow for any action that may breed internal turmoil and more controversy within the ranks of its citizenry and we believe that awarding contracts to someone who should ordinarily be behind bars for the economic mayhem caused in the Niger Delta region between 2016 and 2018 is total anti-peace and anti-development.”

Recall that in a bid to curtail the incessant attacks on oil and gas pipelines in the Niger Delta region, the Buhari administration awarded a $50 million (N37.5bn monthly) contract to Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited, a company owned by Tompolo.