News
Ijaw Group Tackles OPC, CSO Over Call For Review Of Tompolo’s Surveillance Contract
Published
3 weeks agoon
By
EditorGroup known as Ijaw People’s Development Initiative, IPDI, has strongly condemned calls by Oodua Peoples Congress (Reformed) and Civil Society Coalition for Mandate Protection for calling for a review of Niger Delta Pipeline Surveillance Contract, awarded to Niger Delta ex-agitator, Government Oweizide Ekpemupolo alias Tompolo.
IPDI, in a statement by its national president, Comrade Ozobo Austin said it was “shameful that responsible Oodua Peoples Congress (Reformed) could allow itself to be used by merchants of confusion and blackmailers to demand for a review of Tompolo’s Surveillance Contract in Niger Delta barely a shot while of reviewing the contract.”
The group added: “We are aware that selfish and failed stakeholders who were also biding for the contract were behind verbal attacks against Tompolo and Tantita Security company. It’s only enemies of Niger Delta (sic) could at this time barely a few months of the renew of Tompolo’s Surveillance Contract, calling again for review of such a contract.
“The Oodua Congress and others, in case they forget, should know that the Niger Delta Pipeline Surveillance Contract was initiated by High Chief (Dr) Government Oweizide Ekpemupolo, it was part of the terms agreed upon during the signing of the presidential Amnesty Programme.
READ ALSO: [UPDATED] Tantita, Security Operatives Parade Vessel, Crew Members Arrested For Oil Theft
“Despite the pipeline security contract being initiated by Tompolo, it was awarded to the Yorubas, Calabars, and Benins from 2009 till 2022, when the Buhari-led administration awarded part of the contract to Tompolo having observed that the activities of oil theft get increasing despite being superintendent by the Navy, NSCDC, Army and non-indigenous contractors.
“In case the Oodua Congress and others are poor students of history, they should know that the federal government revoked the pipeline surveillance from non-indigenous contractors and military because it loses confidence in them. It took the Buhari administration to sort for capable hands for a reasonable period of time before Tompolo was recommended from the security angle. Despite this recommendation, it was still part of the contract that was awarded to Tompolo.
“The bigger part which has to do with the offshore is still in the hands of the Itsekiri monarch. I feel disgusted when people of Yoruba, Itsekiri and Ilaje decide to remain mute over the large portion of the Surveillance Contract their brother is handling and continues to point fingers at Tompolo. This is very unfair and mischievous.
“Let me state unequivocally that the Nigeria crude daily production was far below a 1m barrel per day at the time Tompolo came on board, but today the narrative is no longer the same, we now approximately produce 1.7m barrels per day.
READ ALSO: JUST IN: Again, Tantita Apprehends Another Vessel For Oil Theft
“This was the reason the federal government decided to renew the Tompolo Surveillance Contract. Tompolo has shown capacity, resilience, competence, intelligence and resourcefulness in the fight against oil theft.
“This is a fact why the federal government will allow Tompolo to continue being in charge of the Surveillance Contract for now. The Itsekiri monarch contract is cutting across Ijaw in scope, but no Ijaw has agitated that the contract should be revoked from the Itsekiri monarch.
“I am very disappointed at some unpopular stakeholders using all mediums to incite discord against Tompolo in order to get the contract awarded to them. This is shameful and desperation taken too far.
“Again, it should be stated clearly that the government is not interested about who gets what but deeply interested about who can end oil theft in the country. Till this moment, the federal government is aware that in the whole of Niger Delta there is no one who can do the surveillance job better than Tompolo,, hence all these cheap calls for contract review will end up in a deft ears of the government for now.
READ ALSO:Tompolo’s Firm, NSCDC Stop Crude Oil Theft In Ondo
“We are aware that these unfounded calls have been sponsored by oil thieves and greedy contractors. Their reason is not far fetched, they want the surveillance contract to be given to the military or inexperienced and incompetent contractor to create a room for them to continue their oil theft business.
“The government is aware of the sinister intention of those calling on president Bola Ahmed Tinubu to review or revoke the Tompolo pipeline surveillance contract.
“The whole gamut of the call to review Tompolo’s Surveillance Contract is being manipulated by corrupt and greedy fellows. To think of it, despite the contract being awarded to Tompolo’s Surveillance Company, it is still being handled by boys, men and women in such areas or tribes where such operations are carried out.
READ ALSO: Nigeria’s Oil Production Drops Again, Now 1.23mbpd – OPEC
“No foreigner is employed to do the job. All the subcontractors are indigenes of the oil and gas communities in Niger Delta.
It is a known fact the contract can’t accommodate everybody in the whole community, maybe that is what some referred to as marginalisation, I don’t know.
“But what I know is that no community under Tompolo’s Surveillance coverage is marginalised and sidelined.
“Therefore, I advised mischief makers and enemies of progress in Niger Delta to repent from their stock in trade and engage themselves in productive activities, rather than blackmailing and betraying a fellow brother for bread and meat.
“It is part of my appeal to the federal government to ignore and disregard sinister calls of perceived oil thieves to pave the way to continue their business”.
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News
Adhere To Tenets Of Journalism In Your Reportage, Edo Deputy Gov Tasks Women Journalists
Published
2 hours agoon
May 22, 2024By
EditorThe Deputy Governor of Edo State, Engr. Marvellous Omobayo, has tasked female journalists in the state under the auspices of Nigeria Association of Women Journalists, NAWOJ, to adhere strictly to the tenets of the profession in their reportage.
Omobayo gave the advice when he received a delegation of the women journalists at his office in Benin.
The used the opportunity of the visit to reiterate his maximum support for the state Governor, Godwin Obaseki to finish strong on his Make Edo Great Again, MEGA project.
READ ALSO: Court Dethrones Ondo Monarch After 29 Years Of Legal Tussle
Earlier, the Chairperson of the Edo NAWOJ, Comrade Adesuwa Ehimuan said the visit was to congratulate the deputy governor on his elevation as the number two citizen of the state.
Ehimuan further said the visit was also to strengthen the synergy and exploring areas of collaboration to promote the development of journalism and women empowerment in the state.
The former campaign director for the Labour Party during the 2023 presidential election, Doyin Okupe, has announced his new vocation as an evangelist of Jesus Christ following his recovery from cancer.
Detailing the challenges he faced with cancer, which initially appeared 16 years ago as prostate cancer and recently in the soft tissues of his right shoulder, Okupe highlighted the role of his medical treatment and divine intervention in his recovery.
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“The first problem was cancer I had and the chemotherapy makes you lose appetite, you have nausea, and even as you sustain for several months, you lose weight,” he told Channels TV.
Okupe recounted how his weight dropped from 127kg to 97kg during chemotherapy and settled at 103kg after the treatment ended.
“In all these, I bear witness to God and Jesus Christ, I’m a testimony to the fact that there is nothing the Lord God Jehovah can’t do,” Okupe affirmed.
“From now on, I have become an evangelist and a witness for Christ.”
News
Court Dethrones Ondo Monarch After 29 Years Of Legal Tussle
Published
3 hours agoon
May 21, 2024By
EditorOba Micheal Adetunji Oluwole, the traditional ruler of Ute in the Ose local government area of Ondo state has been dethroned by a state High Court sitting in Owo, Owo local government area of the state after a legal tussle that lasted for 29 years.
Olule Omolaja Ruling House had challenged the retired Army Major’s right to ascend the throne.
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Justice Ademola Enikuomehin who nullified the selection process that brought Oba Oluwole to the throne and ordered a fresh selection process into the stool, ordered Oluwole to stop parading himself as the traditional ruler of the town. The fresh selection process will be from the Olule Omoloja ruling house lineage.
According to Justice Enikuomehin, the dethroned monarch had no right to the throne as he’s not a member of the ruling house designated to fill the vacant throne of the town.
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