The National Probity And Values For Nation Building Organization (NPVNBO) has cautioned a former militant leader in the Niger Delta region, Mujaheed Asari Dokubo, to be tactful and honest while exercising what he feels are his civic responsibilities and not to be carried away with euphoria.
The group also noted that Dokubo was on borderline behavioural dysregulation, hence he should not be seen trying too hard to impress President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for very obvious reasons.
A statement signed by NPVNBO secretary, Ademola Ojo, said it was appalling that Dokubo could make allegations of oil theft against the Nigerian military especial the Army and Navy branches of the Armed Forces of Nigeria.
“We find it appalling that Mujaheed Asari Dokubo could make such wide off the mark allegations against the Nigerian Armed Forces – particularly the Nigerian Army and Navy respectively of their alleged involvement in crude oil theft and economic sabotage.
“We feel such spurious and unguarded claims should better be avoided as it is capable of heating up the polity within the Armed Forces in a government that is still in transition, this is obviously tactless and garrulous and we believe the nascent administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu should not be crowded and distracted with such unsubstantiated allegations that is capable of sowing distrust.
“We are of the opinion that if and when Asari Dokubo is a privy to any confidential informations regarding the security of this country, at best he should have brought it to the knowledge of the President privately since he was a guest of the President and bearing in mind the weighty allegations and the confidentiality and integrity that the office of the President demands in dealing with such security issues, the President still maintains the prerogatives on national security as he is the commander in chief of the Armed Forces.
“The public acknowledgement to this point by all parties involved in the pipeline surveillance engagement – the federal government, NNPCL, the private security contractors, the Armed Forces and community stakeholders have all alluded to the complementary working relationships and laudable efforts by all involved in the surveillance and protection of the pipelines and the correlating increase in the production of crude oil since August of 2022 when the federal government reinvigorated its onslaught against crude oil theft, the Nigerian Army and Nigerian Navy respectively in particular as institutions of repute have been singled out for commendation for their work against pipeline vandalism and crude oil theft in the last year.
“As stakeholders in this country and particularly in the Niger Delta region, we believe in the fight against crude oil theft and its total eradication, the prosecution of the criminals behind it and the elimination of the twin evil of environmental degradation, our unwavering focus is on the total rehabilitation of the Niger Delta – environmentally, infrastructurally and economically and as such we will support all efforts that will help eliminate the variable threats and sabotage that are ultimately responsible for the summed aggregate deficits in the region, what we are saying without mincing words is that we have always worked with the Armed Forces in our communities to flush out criminals and whatever inducements that are there, we recognise the daunting efforts of the armed forces in our communities in peace building and crime fighting, so in situations where reported that some purported bad elements within the armed forces are involved in economic sabotage we must be careful and disciplined enough to isolate such and not tar the entire armed forces with such brush of an act of infamy.
“There are hundreds of thousands of men and women of the Armed Forces of Nigeria who are sworn to oath and put their lives in line of fire in the call of duty daily to secure and protect Nigeria and as such we must bear in mind their salutary sacrifices and must not dishonour, discourage and criminalise them because of a few purported bad eggs,” the group stated.
On the detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, the group appealed to President Tinubu to reach into the depths of his rich resume of leadership dynamism to finding an understanding for dealing with the issues that led to the agitations in the South-East of the country and find out a better understanding of the the dynamics for the success of a multi-layered social and diverse ethno-religious society as Nigeria.
The group also expressed surprise at Dokubo’s comment on the detained IPOB leader at the same occasion where he accused the Military of massive oil theft.
“We are surprised by the irony of Mujaheed Asari Dokubo’s position, yesterday it was Asari Dokubo who bore arms against the Nigerian State under the guise of a liberation struggle for his people and to this day still parades himself and carries the toga of the “Supreme Leader of NDPVF” (Niger Delta People’s Volunteer Force, an organisation that confronted the Nigerian State.
“Today it is Nnamdi Kanu and Sunday Igboho, depending on what aisle of the argument you stand, spurred on rightly or wrongly by a perceived sense of injustice standing up to liberate and defend their people in Igbo Land (Eastern region) and Yoruba Land (Western region) respectively, in a supposedly federal and democratic society, this has also put them on a collision course with the Nigerian State, we are using this medium to appeal to President Bola Tinubu to critically evaluate the issues that frequently gives rise to such separatist tendencies in the different regions of the country with an aim to finding lasting solutions that will help heal and instill in all a sense of belonging and patriotism needed for nation building.
“Finally the group advises the President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu to be very careful in handling issues of national security and especially as it relates to the pipeline surveillance engagement with the Armed Forces, we are advising the President to get his briefings from the GCEO of the NNPCL and the Chief of Defence Staff respectively who understand the dynamics of the crude oil theft and have the intelligence gathering on those involved in this illicit trade of great economic proportions and sabotage. The serious matter of national security cannot be left in the hands of pedestrians in the public domain of gossips,” it added.
