Connect with us

National

Pipeline Surveillance: Coalition group accuses Chief Ogbebor of fanning ember of discord in Niger Delta

Published

on

By Timi Black

Coalition for Niger Deltans (CND) has accused the Itsekiri Leader, Chief (Mrs) Rita-Lori Ogbebor of fanning embers of discord amongst the various ethnic groups in the Niger Delta over the award of surveillance contracts and constitution of the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

In a statement issued in Warri yesterday by the group’s President, Tareware Tamarapreye, and Secretary, Prince Meschach Bebenimibo expressed displeasure over Chief Ogbebor’s constant opposition to Federal Government policies that benefit the generality of the people of the region.

According to the group, Chief Ogbebor’s several publications, in recent times were against the award of the N48b surveillance contract to the former leader of Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) Chief Government Ekpemupolo alias Tompolo and her defense of the delay in constitution of the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) by President Muhammadu Buhari.

They stated that the Itsekiri leader’s recent outbursts and opposition to the surveillance contract with Tompolo’s company by asking the Federal Government to revoke it was in bad taste and exhibit her hatred of the Ijaw people.

It would be recalled that a similar contract was awarded to a firm in which the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse lll had an interest without any opposition from other ethnic groups, particularly from the Ijaws, and wondered why the Itsekiri leader is against that Tompolo’s company.

The group challenged Chief Ogbebor to rise and protect the interests of all Niger Deltans at all times by emulating Tompolo, who after winning the surveillance contract, still sublet part of it to Chief Ayiri Emami, an Itsekiri, in his determination to carry everyone along.

CND also faulted her claim that the NDDC Board, which was appointed by President Buhari in October 2019 and confirmed by the Nigerian Senate on November 5, 2019, is being delayed because of “pending court cases.”

The statement read partly: “Rita-Lori had in a widely circulated publication on Tuesday September 13th, 2022, cautioned the FG against igniting war in the oil rich region and called for the immediate revocation of the pipelines surveillance contract to individuals in the area.

“Rita-Lori is a parasite and lack integrity and sincerity which is the backbone of character. She knows very well that her King, the Olu of Warri was also contracted to superintend crude oil bearing pipelines in Rivers and Akwa Ibom states, at a net sum of N11.5b monthly and N138.7b per annum. The said sum exudes the already existing contract in Delta and Bayelsa states, awarded some years ago to Ocean Marine Solution Limited owned by the late Captain Hosa Okunbo, the father-in-law to Olu of Warri, where Olu of Warri also and currently functions as the substantive Chairman.

“Rita-Lori Ogbebor in her parasitic manner on Sunday, 7th, 2022 throwing up “inaccurate, unfounded claims with the aim of misleading the public” by making “in her usual style, several false claims regarding the substantive Board of the NDDC.”

“Our attention has been drawn to statements attributed to Rita Lori Ogbebor published in Vanguard Newspaper of Sunday, August 7, 2022 where she, in her usual style, made several false claims regarding the substantive Board of the NDDC.

“Among other false claims, Lori-Ogbebor stated that the Board of NDDC is being delayed because of “pending court cases.” Nothing can be further from the truth. Her hatred for the Ijaws and Niger Deltans is alarming.

“If these high volume and chains of pipeline surveillance related contracts valued at over N11.5b Monthly and N138.7b per annum currently managed by, and bounties single handedly enjoyed by the Olu of Warri and his family could not cause trouble in the Niger Delta region all these years, how could paltry sum of N48bn per annum contract recently awarded to Tompolo elicit crisis.

“Tompolo has magnanimously sublet the Itsekiri aspect of the pipeline contract to an Itsekiri so, Emami Ayiri in his determination to carry everybody along in the pipeline contract.

“The Immediate Past President of National Association of Itsekiri Graduates, NAIG and National Publicity Secretary, Itsekiri Consultative Congress, Edema Collins Oritsetimeyin, has refuted report that HRM, Ogiame Atuwatse lol, the Olu of Warri, owns Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited, one of the three companies that were recently awarded by NNPCL. He also used unholy words on Tompolo and Kingdom at large.

“Ordinarily, Coalition of Niger Deltans will not have replied a mad, corrupt and paid media boy Edema Collins because of his parochial character.

“The Gbaramatu people and the Ijaws are the aborigine of the riverine areas. The Itsekiris even recently went to Kenyagbene (Abiteye) flow station in Gbaramatu Kingdom to protest to Chevron just to ignite problem but because of the peaceful king of Gbaramatu Kingdom and Tompolo, nobody toucch them. The Ijaws can never do that in their territory.

“We warn all these parasites to desist from attitudes and characters that can cause problems within the Ijaws and the Itsekiris.

“The Itsekiri people are tenants to the Ijaws and Gbaramatu people because the Ijaws are the aborigines of the riverine areas”, the group asserted.

IMG-20230118-WA0017