Don’t award pipeline security contract to Tompolo, Arewa youths urge FG

Arewa Youth Assembly (AYA) have urged the Federal Government to rescind the decision to award oil pipeline surveillance contract to ex-Niger Delta militant, Chief Government Ekpemuopolo (alias Tompolo).

The North will vehemently resist any attempt by the government to award such a contract to secure oil pipelines in the country to Tompolo, the youths said.

At a press briefing, yesterday, in Arewa House, Kaduna, the leaders of AYA said: “Information at the disposal of the Arewa Youth Assembly is that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited under the leadership of Kolo Kyari is planning to assign the job of pipelines surveillance to an enemy of the state, a militant popularly known as Tompolo.”

Deputy Speaker of AYA, Abdulsalami Kazeem, said the plan to award Tompolo the contract was not only surprising, but unbelievable.

Kazeem remarked: “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 arms and watch the government make such a grave mistake of awarding a sensitive contract of this nature to an enemy of the land.

“We, therefore, as a matter of national urgency, advise, beg, call and plead with the NNPC Limited to save our national asset by not awarding it to Tompolo, as the effect will be deleterious to the nation’s economy.”

According to him, for youths and the future generation to learn that hard work pays and to shun cultism, militancy and cybercrime, such people like Tompolo should not be taken seriously, let alone be given any national asset to secure.