Members of Northern Youth Advocacy For Good Governance Initiative and Arewa Youth Forum has staged a protest against the pipeline surveillance contract awarded to Tantita Security owned by Mr. Government Ekpemupolo, alias (Tompolo).
TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports the youths, largely from the Northern region of the country, staged the protest at the headquarters of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), demanding cancellation of the contract.
The placards carrying protesters defied the presence of security operatives deployed to guard the facility as they called on President Bola Tinubu to exercise caution in renewing the contract over what they described as wanton financial malfeasance, they said plagued the contract.
Some of the inscriptions on their placards read: Tompolo’s Pipeline Surveillance Is a Fraud, Sack and Probe Mele Kyari Now, NNPC Now An Osusu Ministry, among others.
The President of Arewa Youth Congress, Comrade Musa Adebayo who spoke on behalf of the groups said there was no significant rise in the oil production quantum since the contract was awarded to Tompolo, adding that the successes being celebrated were normal production rates before mayhem of the Niger Delta Avengers.
According to him, “It is hence a major matter of concern how much concerned efforts are being made to re-award the pipeline surveillance contracts to an ex- militant general despite the tension, financial malfeasance, disinformation and abnormalities that are inherent in the contract.
“We expect that the federal government interest should be centered on knowing the tru cost of the pipeline surveillance contract as awarded as fresh facts and figures continue to emerge in the media.
“We also expect the Federal government to suspend the NNPCL Group Chief Executive, Mr. Mele Kolo Kyari, Executive Vice President (Upstream), Mr Adokye Tombomieye, the Managing Director Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC), Mr. Ali Muhammed Zahra and Managing Director National Petroleum Investment Management Services, Mr. Bala Wunti.
“They should be suspended and thoroughly investigated for their inputs in the contracts for the security and maintenance of pipeline infrastructure and ancillary facilities for eastern and western corridors and the establishment of a project management office for an unknown company (Inter-Atlas Limited ) which cost the Federal government almost one billion dollars in the last one year.
“As concerned citizens, we should understand that the country is too tense to allow for any auction that may breed internal turmoil and more controversy within the ranks of its citizenry and we believe that awarding contracts to someone who should ordinarily be behind bars for the economic mayhem caused in the Niger Delta region between 2016 and 2018 is total anti- peace and anti- development”.
Adebayo said they would continue to occupy the premises of the building until their demands are met.