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Pipeline surveillance: Don’t resort to propaganda to blackmail Tompolo, FG – Alaowei tells Akeredolu

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By Timi Black

A Rights group, under the aegis of the Centre for Human Rights and Anti-Corruption Crusade (CHURAC), has clarified that the oil pipeline surveillance contract awarded to some private companies in the Niger Delta by the NNPC Limited is not the same as State Police.

The group noted that Nigerians are yearning for the decentralization of the police force or better still, allow States to recruit their security forces to complement the federal police force, adding that pipeline surveillance work does not require the recipients to bear arms.

This was made available to Congress correspondent in a statement titled: “STATE POLICE AND PIPELINE SURVEILLANCE CONTRACT ARE NOT THE SAME: LEAVE TOMPOLO ALONE” in Warri on Friday.

According to the group’s Board of Trustees Chairman, Cleric E. Alaowei, Esq: “this is not the first time this contract is awarded to Tompolo or some other persons, stressing that the modus Operandi of the pipeline surveillance workers is to expose the criminal syndicates in the Niger Delta region to the security agencies.

“Theirs are more like intelligent gathering because the oil host communities know the topography where the pipelines are crisscrossing the region.

“In the state police, the force members will carry arms if the federal government grants them license to bear arms. People should not confuse themselves with the two. FG’s refusal to accept State Police has nothing to do with the pipeline surveillance contract. The security agencies are comfortable working with Tompolo and others in the Niger Delta to secure the nation’s economic assets.

“We disagree with the Governor of Ondo State, His Excellency, Rotimi Akeredolu, SAN. Nigerians should not resort to unfounded propaganda to blackmail the Federal Government over this laudable initiative. It’s not true that non-state actors will bear arms to guard the oil pipelines. It has never happened before and we believe it will not still going to happen under the present arrangements. Tompolo’s traducers should know that the late Capt. Hosa Okunbor’s Ocean Marine Company is currently executing the same contract for the NNPC Limited in the Niger Delta region. Why Tompolo’s own is causing an uproar?

“Nigeria is daily losing barrels of crude oil to the economic saboteurs. The Government needs Tompolo who’s a maritime security expert to help boost her dwindling oil production. His traducers should leave him alone. His scope of work is to locate the illegal bunkers and expose them to the appropriate authorities,” he added.

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