Admin l Wednesday, 31 August 2022
AKURE, Nigeria – Ondo State Governor, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu has condemned award of contract for the surveillance of oil pipelines in the Niger Delta region to reformed warlord, Government Ekpemupolo better known as Tompolo.
Tompolo bided for the pipeline surveillance contract with five other contractors but he was picked for the N4.5 billion contract over his mastery of the Niger Delta terrain, Commissioner for Youth Development/ Advocacy Bayelsa State, Mr. Udengs Eradiri said in an interview.
Reacting to the development, Akeredolu said the news concerning the purported award of pipeline contracts to some individuals and private organisations by the Federal Government has been unsettling.
“More disquieting is the barely disguised hostility displayed against either the idea or the actual establishment of security outfits by some State Governments to fill the widening gaps in the scope of security coverage noticeable nationally”, he said.
Akeredolu explained that the Federal Government, through the Office of the National Security Adviser, has been consistent in its refusal to accede to the request by some States in the Federation to strengthen the complementary initiatives adopted to protect lives and property.
“This is done in spite of the knowledge that the very issues which necessitated the creation of these outfits support providing adequate weaponry. All attempts to persuade the Federal Government to look, critically, into the current security architecture have been rebuffed despite the manifest fundamental defects engendered by over-centralisation.
“It is, therefore, shocking to read that the Federal Government has maintained the award of the contract to “protect” the country’s pipeline from vandals to private organisations. This story, if true, leaves a sour taste in the mouth. The NSA will, obviously, not advise the President to approve the award of a contract of such magnitude if the operators have not displayed sufficient capacity to checkmate the criminal activities of equally powerful groups.
“Consequently, it is safe to conclude that the Federal Government has, impliedly, permitted non state actors to bear heavy assault weapons while denying same privilege to the States, the federating units”, he said.
The governor said the award of contract to private organisations to protect vandalisation of pipelines raise fundamental questions on the sincerity of the advisers of the Government on security issues”, he said.
