The governor had, on Saturday, August 26, raised concern over the crude oil pipeline surveillance contract awarded to Tantita Security Services, led by former Niger Delta agitator, Government Ekpemepulo (Tompolo) by the Federal Government.
The governor said, in Port Harcourt, that it was wrong to award such a contract to ‘one man.’
He said the decision would not achieve the objective it was meant to serve, because, in his view, an individual should not have control over the assets in other people’s territory.
Though Fubara failed to mention a name, he told a high powered Federal Government delegation, led by National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, that security of pipelines should not be given to one man.
But the oil and gas-monitoring group said that the governor was not being fair to the people of the Niger Delta and other stakeholders. It implored President Bola Tinubu to be wary of the governor and also call him to order for the interest of peace.
In an open letter to the President, the group expressed shock over Fubara’s utterances, saying that his words were capable of disrupting the prevailing peace in the region. NDIMRC noted that since the pipelines surveillance contract was awarded by the Muhammadu Buhari administration to Tompolo, the region has known peace, and crude oil theft, which is milking the nation dry, has been brought under control.
The President, Secretary, and Public Relations Officer of NDIMRC, Nelly Emma, John Sailor and Stanley Mukoro, respectively, in the letter, said that while illegal oil dealers are enemies of the country, mischief-makers and crude oil thieves are actively working to prevent renewal of the contract, because it has crumbled their illicit empires.
They said: “We hate to believe that Fubara is encouraging these enemies of the nation who are stealing our crude oil for selfish reasons.”
Group knocks Fubara over comments on pipeline surveillance contract
Rivers State governor Siminalayi Fubara
