Rodiyat Shittu
Northern youths under the auspices Arewa Youth Assembly (AYA) have asked the Federal Government and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to shelve the ideas of awarding the nation’s oil pipeline surveillance contract to former militant commander, Oweizide Ekpemupolo popularly known as Government Tompolo.
Arewa youths argued that, awarding contract of policing a national asset like the crude oil pipeline to people in character of Tompolo, who they described as an enemy of the state, a militant, a renowned pipeline vandal, will send wrong signal that bandits leaders can also seek contract to police the Aso Rock.
The youths while addressing a press conference at Arewa House, Kaduna, said, Tompolo is on the same radar with terrorists like Abubakar Shekau, Bello Turji, Nnamdi Kanu, Sunday Igboho and Mohammed Yusuf among others, who see nothing good in the country.
According the Deputy Speaker of AYA, Abdulsalam Mohammed Kazeem, award such contract to Tompolo, will send wrong signal to the youths and future generation who have been holding firm to the belief that hard-work pays, and that cultism, militancy and cyber crime are not the way to go.
Kazeem said, “Information at the disposal of the Arewa Youth Assembly is that, the NNPC limited under the leadership of Mallam Mele Kolo Kyari and the Federal Government is planning to assign the job of pipelines surveillance to an enemy of state, a militant, a renowned pipeline vandal, Oweizide Ekpemupolo popularly known as Government Tompolo.
“This is not only surprising but unbelievable that as a nation, we will entrust our most viable source of revenue to a notorious oil bunkrer. Bunkry is synonymous to Tompolo, his name signifies pipeline vandalism, oil theft and mutilation of government facilities and above all militancy.
“To we the youths of Northern Nigeria, Tompolo is on the same radar with terrorists like Abubakar Shekau, Bello Turji, Nnamdi Kanu, Sunday Igboho, Mohammed Yusuf among others, who sees nothing good in the country, rather clamour for its destruction, disregarding its unity, and showing maximum disrespect for the rule of law and Government of the day.
“As youths of this region who have been keen observers of Governance as it affects the citizens and the nation in general, we will not fold our hands and watch the Government make such a grave mistake of awarding a sensible contract of this nature to an un-deserving, un-patriotic, un-sucruplous enemy of the land.
“We therefore as a matter of national urgency advice, beg, call and plead with the NNPC LTD to save our national asset by not awarding it to Tompolo, as the effect will be deleterious to the nations economy. If on the other hand this contract is awarded to him, terrorist like Bello Turji, Nnamdi Kanu and the rest will be looking to get the contract of securing the villa, the first family and the president of the federal republic of Nigeria,” he said.
