Pipeline Surveillance: IYC solicits Tompolo support and claims the contract is not political

Ibekimi Oriamaja Reports

The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) has urged Nigerians to back Chief Government Ekpemupolo, often known as Tompolo, in his bid to secure pipelines in the Niger Delta.

When speaking with Tracknews on Monday, Mr. Omaghomi OluDerimon, Secretary, Western Zone of the IYC, made the plea and said that “all hands must be on deck to preserve our economic base, which is crude oil.”

He said that the IYC had previously expressed alarm about the extent of oil theft in the area by some economic saboteurs through a number of fora.

“We sincerely thank the federal government, led by President Muhammadu Buhari, for listening to our concerns and acting to resolve them.

There isn’t a Nigerian alive who isn’t concerned about the state of the country’s economy right now, and they should be aware that the theft of our oil is contributing to the decline in its value, which is making the situation worse.

“Oil theft in the Niger Delta region is the main cause of Nigeria’s continuous drop in oil production, which has been going on for a while.

He said, “This issue is not just impacting the Niger Delta; it is affecting all the states of the Federation.”

So, the IYC Zonal Secretary pleaded with Nigerians not to read politics or ethnicity into the contract being given to Tompolo.

He continued by saying that the contract was entirely based on experience and knowledge rather than being political or regional in nature.

It is just necessary to award the contract to an experienced person who knows the terrain and can deliver as and when due after the enormous financial loss caused by crude oil theft.

This has nothing to do with the area or politics; the threat of oil theft has to be reduced by someone who is familiar with the area, has knowledge of its history, and has expertise dealing with local issues.

However, he added, “Tompolo or whoever was granted the contract cannot accomplish it alone without the backing of every single Nigerian.”

Recall that a former agitator and commander of the disbanded Movement for Emancipation of the Niger Delta received a multi-million dollar pipeline surveillance contract renewal from the federal government (MEND).