Crude Oil Surveillance Contract: Northern Coalition Backs Tampolo, Tongue-Lashes Rivals
By Abdullahi Alhassan, Kaduna
HOTPEN – The Coalition of Arewa Civil Societies has backed the award of surveillance of crude oil pipelines by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company, (NNPC) to indigenous group in the south the south region.
Speaking at a World Press conference in Kaduna the Spoke person of the Coalition, Mallam Aminu Abbas said it’s the greatest move in the right direction.
He said “Our attention has been drawn to the unpatriotic call made by a faceless Arewa Group on the crude oil surveillance contract awarded by the federal government through NNPC limited to a respected Nationalist of repute, Government Ekpemupolo better known as Tompolo.
The people sponsoring the said group are ignorant of the current realities of how those involved in oil theft and bickering has affected our nation’s economy. It’s worrisome and disgraceful that when the government took such timely decisive positive action on what will have a positive impact on our country’s economic prosperity, a faceless group like the so-called Amalgamated Arewa Youth Groups could be attacking them and then causing disaffection within the citizenry.
Nigeria as a country depends on the proceeds from the sale of crude oil and when such facilities are being destroyed daily the Production and sales of oil reduce drastically. We as the Coalition of all Civil Society groups in the Northern part of this country have decided to come out en mass within seven days to thank Mr. President for taking the decision that would secure our national assets.
“The condemnation call is baseless hence we distance the good people of Northern Nigeria to such a myopic action of some faceless group camouflaging in the name of AREWA.
“It’s important to note that the era of shadow chasing is over, what is expected of any concern Arewa Group at this critical material time is to engage all Concerned stakeholders from within and outside our region on how best to address the lingering problem of insecurity and bring it to a logical end.
The group further explains that “To set the record straight, as at today, the issues affecting us ( Arewa) including banditry, cattle rustling, kidnapping and another menace of insecurities that had remained a new order of the day, the activities mentioned have crippled our region economic activities and if appropriate measures are not taken, nobody can predict the faith of our region in the next one year.
“On a fair note; we as concerned Northerners with a history of loyalty and dedication felt it’s high time the government and people of our region reach out to respected people like High Chief Ekpemupolo and other brave and gallant individuals to deploy their native strength and expertise to assist our conventional security agencies on security within and outside our region.
The coalition group noted “At a time like this; when the entire nation is clamoring for expansion of state policing and another native/local security architecture for effective and efficient safety of lives and properties of our citizens, hence government/NNPC action of contracting pipeline surveillance is a step in the right direction hence the good people of AREWA and her groups endorse this action, it’s our request and agitation for the government to protect people and property in the north and the entire Country just as they have begun a move outside the usual way.
It’s high time we join hands together with our southern brothers to build our nation together and do away with all forms of ethnic sentiments, the federal government under President Muhammadu Buhari has done the right thing by awarding the contract to him for the sole purpose of protecting part of our Vital national wealth/infrastructure.
The group pointed out that “High chief Expemuoplo is a son of the soil and he has all it takes to bring about the significant visible improvement in that particular tasks, so, therefore, we commend president Mohammed Buhari for his approval and we equally pass a vote of confidence on the state minister of petroleum resources and the GMD of NNPC limited for following due process in awarding of the said contract, the transparent and due process followed before the award of the said contract further proves to us that they for the interest and development of our country.