Ex-Militant Leaders Call For Decentralisation Of Pipeline Surveillance Contract

…….Insist On Split Of Tompolo’s N48bn Contract

Ex-militant leaders and key stakeholders from the six states of the Niger Delta have said to effectively combat oil theft in the areas, there is an urgent need for the pipelines surveillance contract to be decentralised so that prominent ex- leaders of the militant groups across the Niger Delta will participate in the job.

The ex-agitators also insisted that for the fight against oil theft to be successful, the N48 billion pipeline surveillance contract awarded to Tantita Security Services Limited solely owned by their colleague, Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, must be split.

They made the demand while giving their commitmemt to support efforts of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration to fight oil theft in the Niger Delta at a meeting held at the Okochiri Palace of King Michael Ateke Tom, in Okrika Local Government area of Rivers State on Saturday.

OSUN DEFENDER gathered that they agreed to sustain move to tackle crude oil theft, which has over the years affected the nation’s production output and revenue at the meeting.

But it was also learnt from that the meeting was convened to discuss ways and strategies needed for overseeing the Pipeline Surveillance Contract with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).

Ex-Niger Delta agitators present at the meeting convened by Ateke Tom were Alhaji Asari Dokubo, Leader of Niger Delta Peoples Volunteer Force, NDVF, (a diehard supporter of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration),Chief Ajube Bibopiri (Gen. Shoot-at-sight), and Hon. Victor Ben Ebikabowei (Gen Boyloaf)

Speaking in this vein, Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State, had recently criticised the federal government for awarding the pipeline surveillance contract to just “one man”.

Fubara spoke when a federal government’s delegation on the security of oil and gas assets visited him at the Government House, Port Harcourt.

The delegation was led by the National Security Advise, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu,a retired Assistant Inspector General of Police.

“Security of pipeline should not be given to one man or one person. How can someone from Kalabari be controlling the pipeline in Ogoni?” Fubara said, without mentioning names.

“There is no way it will work. We must look at all the key people in the various communities,” the governor added.

However, OSUN DEFENDER learnt that the contract has been renewed for Tompolo for three years.