Arewa Civil Society group has commended the award of crude oil surveillance contract to Chief Oweizide Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo in the Niger-Delta.
The north-based group also urged the federal government to award security of other critical infrastructures like railway lines which is prone to attacks to Tompolo.
Reacting to the call made by some individuals who condemned the award of crude oil surveillance contract to Ekpemupolo, the group’s spokesperson, Mallam Aminu Abbas, said “there’s nothing wrong if the federal government engage their services to help secure other critical economic prone infrastructure facilities aside the pipeline in our country to complementing the efforts of the armed forces.”
Addressing a press conference in Kaduna, the group said there is need to involve host communities in the quest to ensure proper safeguarding of government facilities, adding that it’s high time the government reach out to respected people like him (Tompolo) and other brave, gallant individuals to deploy their native strength and expertise to assist the conventional security agencies.
Aminu stressed that haven considered the vast experience and capacity of Tompolo in peace and conflict resolution, it’s an insult to assign only little portion of our critical infrastructure to him for Surveillance, noted that the Nigerian railway line require surveillance as well and therefore there is nothing wrong if the federal government engage their services to help secure other critical economic prone infrastructure facilities aside the pipeline in the country to complementing the efforts of the armed forces.
Abbas said, “condemnation of the contract by some groups from the north 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 concerned 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.
“To set the record straight, as at today, the issues affecting us ( Arewa) including Banditry, cattle rustling, kidnapping and other menace of insecurities that had remain 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.
“We want to use this medium in thanking Mr President for taking the right decision because our national asset will be secured even more by engaging the host communities to also join hands with our security agencies in protecting these facilities and in return would boost the Nigerian economy.
“On a fair note; we as concern Northerners with history of loyalty and dedication, felt it’s high time the government and people of our region to 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, considering his vast experience and capacity in peace and conflict resolution, it’s an insult to assign only little portion of our critical infrastructure to him for surveillance, our railway line require surveillance as well , there’s nothing wrong if the federal government engage their services to help secure other critical economic prone infrastructure facilities aside the pipeline in our country to complementing the efforts of the armed forces.
“At a time like this when the entire nation is clamouring for expansion of state policing and other 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 began a move outside the usual way”.
The group expressed confidence that the government have awarded the contract to his company base on his track record, loyalty and dedication to the Nation and his familiarity to the terrain and this will help reduce oil theft and bunkering by over 85% against what we are currently witnessing as well improve IGR of our nation,” he said.
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