N/D Ex-Agitators Call On Those Calling For Tompolo's Contract Revocation To Stop.

 

The  Niger Delta First Phase Ex-Agitator's Leadership Forum Bayelsa State Chapter  has called on those calling for the revocation of the Pipeline Surveillance Contract given to Government Ekpemupolo Popularly known as Tompolo  to stop forthwith.

The group wondered why Niger Delta people are always in the habit of practicing pull down syndrome stating that it has never helped the region.

In a statement on Tuesday the Chairman of the group,  High Chief Charles Kurobo James, it stated that the group was surprised that people from the region are lobbying for the job adding that Tompolo has done extremely well in handling the job in the last twelve months.

The group therefore  called on those behind the move to instead focus their attention on how to make the region a better place especially now that the region has two Ministers in Oil and Gas.

The statement read " It is indeed embarrassing that  the renewal of the Multi-Billion Naira Federal government NNPC Pipeline surveillance contract worth N48b that has recorded an enviable feat in the last 12 months has become such a big deal that even the political elites and  the Security Elites in some quarters, including an executive governor, who are supposed to stimulate people from the region to take advantage of bigger and glaring opportunities in the oil and gas sector to emulate and replicate what Tantita is doing with his pipeline security contract today are the people looking for a way to stop the contact.

" We now have two new ministers of the Petroleum Industry from the region, going round for a wide range consultation on the best way forward on economic development. Unfortunately, the best presentation we can come up with,  before them is pipeline security contract, ignoring other multiple components of the oil and gas sector.

 "With two Ministers in our kitty, we can all come together as one people to achieve a robust national economic advancement thereby attracting the desired development our region.

"Why do we keep hunting ourselves? Why can’t we just take a look inward and see why we need each other for growth? Anything meant to create positive impact from our region is always brought to an abrupt end using our own people to obstruct it’s development. 

" Take a quick flash back at the origin of the Presidential Amnesty Program (PAP), for example, how it started and  what it has become today. A complete charade under it’s current leadership. It has become difficult to tell what it was originally created for! Ordinarily, the programme, by mandate, is supposed to have been the bridge between the federal government, multinational oil corporations and Youths of the region, not just the Ex-Agitator's, interfacing and mediating in all aspects that threaten the peace, security and economic stability of the region just like the grievances between Tantita and others.

"The rise of new generations of young people from the region are frustrated by the status quo that our leaders have failed and I believe the concern should be to redeem and redirect such  notion and stand bold against mediocrity.

 "If Tompolo is able to engage three thousand (3000) youths, for example, with the Tantita security service contract and the likes of Mujahid Asari-Dokubo, HRM Ateke Tom, Ebikabowei Victor Ben aka Boyloaf, Chief Bibopre Ajube aka Shoot-aside and commander Nigeria among others who also have direct access to the federal government can do same through consultation and diversify efforts to other aspects of the oil and gas contracts that will engage a similar number, close to or more  beside pipeline surveillance already identified with Tantita  security services Nigeria Limited, we would have approximately 18,000 youths indirectly engaged by the federal government. 

"We need structural changes that can help the national economy to keep growing, to enable the transfer of tangible success to latter generations and as such, our unity and contributions not grievances, is what should bind us. 

"We  should be asking questions to get answers from quarters responsible for the under development of our region but unfortunately, we are stuck with elements technically brewing crisis for their benefits and will do anything even at the expense of peace and integrity of the region to suppress us.

"The truth is, we have come of age and should not be seen as enemies of ourselves. We should be able to defined our strategy for growth and development and have our leaders come to terms with the reality of our individual capabilities if we must grow as a people and develop as a region. 

"We need to change our narratives, define our core objectives and values, address and tackle challenges head-on. We can not continue to be seen as a people always running after fiction and ignorantly avoiding  the facts while other regions laugh and make mockery of our poverty mentality and greed of economic and political ideologies, as they take advantage of our disunity to distort  the advancement for the improvement of our region.

"We all stood for a common cause when we took up arms against the Nigerian state during our struggle for what we understood and believe in.  The government was able to dialogue, broker peace and normalcy was restored until crisis entrepreneurs started sniffing into unmerited positions of trust connected to the Niger Delta region. The statement concluded.