From TONY JOHN, Port Harcourt
The Ikwerre People’s Congress (IPC) Worldwide has warned against a perceived advocacy to cancel the pipeline surveillance contract awarded to Tantita Security owned by a former Niger Delta agitator, Government Ekpemupolo (popularly known as Tompolo) by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).
Chairman of the group and a Niger Delta stakeholder, Livingstone Wechie, in a signed statement, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State,frowned at the unwarranted moves, advising that the important thing to do is to integrate other stakeholders into the contract
He stated that termination of the contract awarded to Tompolo’s company by Federal Government would be targeted at undermining the interest of Niger Delta people.
Wechie said: “We have observed this unwarranted trend and advice that what is of most importance is the needed integration of stakeholders across the region instead of the destructive campaign anchored on a pull down syndrome. We should be asking for more opportunities than pushing for cancellation.”
According to him, the idea for Pipeline Surveillance Contract was first muted by Annkio Briggs under President Yar’Adua’s administration during the pre-negotiation stages for the Amnesty Programme.
He continued that the idea was opposed by certain Niger Delta stakeholders who felt it was not deserving for armed agitators at the time to handle.
Wechie noted: “To be fair, during the armed struggle for Niger Delta emancipation and resource ownership, lives were lost and our Ijaw compatriots played a leading role while acknowledging the intellectual contributions of some respected Ikwerre players being a leading stakeholder ethnic block in oil and gas infrastructure, as well as other ethnic groups which made their various contributions.
“It is noteworthy that Tantita Security is not the only company awarded the Pipeline Surveillance contract in the region. The call for the its cancellation smacks of personal vendetta. There are others or another Pipeline Surveillance Contract allegedly linked to the Olu of Warri and all must be properly engaged and come to the table with a view to harmonise and resolve the outstanding issues to avoid giving a dog a bad name without justification by calling out only Tompolo’s contract.”
The IPC chairman advised that Niger Delta must avoid the plot to use this Pipeline Surveillance Contract awarded to Tompolo through his company to cause disaffection among stakeholders.
“It is public knowledge that some known stakeholders are already accommodated by Tompolo within the contract and this virtue must be commended while we demand for the decentralisation of the contract to accommodate others.
He further advised that Niger Delta does not need an infighting, but the galvanization of relationships across the region, to engineer a sense of ownership by the people.
“It is highly recommended that the issues should be resolved on a roundtable in the interest of peace and development.”