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Pipeline Contract: Northern Youth Group Backs Tompolo

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The Coalition of Northern Youths on Monday faulted the criticisms that trailed the award of multi-million dollar pipeline contract to former militant leader, Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo.

The organisation wondered why some Nigerians were kicking against the contract when the process that led to its award was well advertised and transparent.

The coordinator of CNY, Muktar Adamu, said in Abuja that the action of Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited was necessitated by the need for Nigeria to hire private contractors to protect its oil pipelines nationwide against vandalism and massive oil theft.

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Adamu said the NNPC was not dealing with Tompolo as an individual but rather with a private company he has an interest in, which he said is not an aberration but a step in the right direction.

READ ALSO: Northern Groups Trade Words Over Tompolo’s Pipeline Surveillance Contract

While stating that Nigerians must be careful in making hasty judgement on crucial government actions or policies, Adamu said that blocking lope holes in revenue generation for the country should ordinarily elicit excitement across the country instead of referring to ethnicity and religion as a focus in the narrative.

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He said, ”Nigerians must realize that oil theft has drastically reduced our production capacity, thereby affecting oil revenue accrued to the country; the development has led to a drop in the government’s earnings, creating environmental pollution and other health hazards.

“It is also a fact that Nigeria loses millions of barrels of crude oil a year because of theft and vandalism, including the tapping of crude from a maze of pipelines owned by oil majors, underscoring how poor security causes vast financial losses for the country.

“We believe that every Nigerian should be concerned that Nigeria lost $1 billion in revenue during the first quarter of this year due to crude oil theft.

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“This trend poses an existential threat to the oil and gas sector and, if not curbed, the Nigerian economy. We wish to state that the government’s efforts in addressing this trend are commendable and should give well-meaning Nigerians a sense of joy that mechanisms are being put in place to address this challenge.

“Most Nigerians might not be aware that the process that led to the award of the contract was well advertised and bided for by competent companies through a most transparent bidding process that saw over five firms participating in the bid process.

”It is a statement of the fact that there is no better time than now for the government to initiate steps to stop crude oil theft in the country in our quest for improved revenue to tackle the myriads of economic challenges in the country.

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“The fact that due process was followed in the contract process is also a display of unalloyed commitment by the Minister of State for Petroleum to entrench a regime of transparency and accountability in Nigeria’s critical oil and gas sector.”

The CNY said that securing critical national assets of the country knew no tribe or religion but competence, adding that the firm linked to Tompolo has the capacity and required expertise to secure critical assets in the Oil and Gas industry in Nigeria.

READ ALSO: Pipeline Surveillance: Tompolo Meets Ex-militant Leaders, Others, Seeks End To Oil Theft

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“The fact that the country is looking inwards for solutions to our challenges is a plus for the government. As in the case of Mr Tompolo, the NNPC has indeed acted well in encouraging local content development in the oil and gas industry.

“We also wish to state that Mr Tompolo is not new to the task at hand as it is on record that he has successfully executed such contracts in times past in the country. Therefore the company’s competence to deliver is not in doubt, which remains a win for the country.

“The coalition wishes to advise those vested interests neck deep in the oil theft regime to desist from heating the polity with half-truths on the objective of the contract to secure oil infrastructures in the country. They must realize that the wealth of Nigeria belongs to Nigerians across ethnic and religious affiliations,” he added.

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JUST IN: Tinubu Decorates New Service Chiefs

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President Bola Tinubu on Thursday decorated the new service chiefs with their respective ranks at the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The ceremony, which began shortly after 2pm saw the President perform the decoration alongside Vice President Kashim Shettima and the spouses of the decorated officers, each dressed in their respective service uniforms.

Those decorated were General Olufemi Oluyede as the Chief of Defence Staff; Lieutenant-General Wahidi Shaibu as Chief of Army Staff; Air Marshal Kennedy Aneke as Chief of Air Staff; and Vice Admiral Idi Abbas and Chief of Naval Staff.

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The Senate had, on Wednesday, confirmed the four nominees after a two-hour closed-door screening session where they were grilled on strategies to strengthen national security and improve coordination among the armed forces.

Tinubu had earlier written the red chamber, seeking an expedited confirmation process “to ensure continuity in the nation’s security leadership.”

READ ALSO:Reps Approve Tinubu’s $2.35bn External Loan Request

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It was observed that the ceremony was attended by senior government officials, lawmakers family members of the service chiefs and top officers from the various arms of the military.

The President, Vice President and the officers’ spouses took turns pinning the new ranks on each of the decorated chiefs.

The decoration came barely one week after the Presidency announced a sweeping reshuffle in the military hierarchy.

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In the statement signed by the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, it said the shake-up was part of efforts to inject new direction into the nation’s defence architecture.

READ ALSO:Tinubu Under Fire Over Presidential Pardon For Drug Offenders

The Chief of Defence Intelligence, Major General E. A. P. Undiendeye, retained his position.

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Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, later told our correspondent that the changes were not connected to recent rumours of a coup plot, saying, “The President acted within his authority as Commander-in-Chief. Service chiefs can be hired and fired by the President.”

On Monday, Tinubu had met privately with the new service chiefs at the Villa.

They arrived in a black Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van escorted by a green Toyota Land Cruiser, and the session lasted about 40 minutes.

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READ ALSO:FULL LIST: 175 Beneficiaries Of Tinubu’s Pardons

Presidency sources said the President charged them to take decisive action against insurgents and bandits, particularly in the North.

Last Friday’s reshuffle followed an October 19 report alleging that some officers were plotting to overthrow the government — a claim later dismissed by the Defence Headquarters as “false and mischievous.”

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The Director of Defence Information, Brigadier-General Tukur Gusau, said the alleged arrests linked to a coup were “issues of indiscipline” within the ranks, describing the report as “intended to cause unnecessary tension and distrust among the populace.”

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JUST IN: Eurozone Growth Beats Expectations In Third Quarter

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The eurozone economy grew faster than expected in the third quarter of 2025, official data showed Thursday.

The EU’s data agency said the 20-country single currency area recorded growth of 0.2 per cent over the July-September period from the previous quarter.

READ ALSO:Atiku Slams Tinubu Over U-turn On Pardon For Convicts

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The figure was higher than the 0.1 per cent forecast by analysts for Bloomberg and FactSet.

More details later…

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PHOTOS: Police Inspector, Others Die In Lagos-Ibadan Expressway Multiple-truck Crash

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At least four persons were feared dead while several others sustained injuries in a multiple-vehicle crash involving five articulated trucks on Kara Bridge, inward Mowe, along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway on Thursday.

A police inspector attached to the Lagos State Police Command was said to be among the victims.

The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Moshood Jimoh, who confirmed the incident on Thursday during a visit to the scene, said emergency response teams worked through the early hours to rescue victims and clear the wreckage.

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“We have a case of multiple accidents at the border between Ogun and Lagos State. Five vehicles were involved, all articulated vehicles. Precisely, three people have been rescued from the scene of the accident.

READ ALSO:Ten Feared, Others Injured In Oyo Road Accident

As early as 5 a.m., we have been on it, and we have other agencies here assisting us. We have LASTMA, the Road Safety Corps, and other security agencies,” Ishola said.

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He explained that preliminary investigations showed the crash was caused by a trailer that suffered brake failure.

At the beginning, we have a trailer that failed to brake, and it is important that everybody in charge of their vehicle ensures proper maintenance,” he stated.

The commissioner also confirmed the death of one of his officers who was part of the police advance team deployed to the scene.

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READ ALSO:41 Killed In Mexico Bus Accident

“It’s very unfortunate that we lost one of our police inspectors who came with our advance team to salvage the situation,” he said.

Ishola cautioned motorists, particularly drivers of articulated vehicles, against reckless driving, which he described as a leading cause of fatal crashes on highways.

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We want road users, especially those driving articulated vehicles, to stop this kind of recklessness. If they are not reckless in their driving habit, we won’t have this kind of accident,” he warned.

Rescue operations involving the police, Federal Road Safety Corps, Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, and other agencies were still ongoing as of press time, while efforts to remove the damaged vehicles and restore traffic flow continued.

 

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