Akwa Ibom: Ex-Militants Want Tompolo's Surveillance Contract Terminated

Ex-militants from Akwa Ibom State have threatened to halt oil production there if the federal government doesn't rescind the N48 billion yearly pipeline surveillance contract granted to Tompolo.

The petition sent to President Muhammadu Buhari included a threat, and copies of the petition were also sent to the security services.

A petition bearing the signatures of the State Coordinator-General of the Ex-Militant Forum, Johnson Solomon, and its Secretary, Godwin Edohoaqua, gave the federal government a seven-day deadline to resolve the issue or risk widespread unrest that could have an impact on state oil and gas production.

The group argued that it was improper for the federal government to award a contract for the surveillance of oil pipelines passing through Akwa Ibom State without involving young people from the state, whose communities had endured environmental degradation due to oil exploration and exploitation activities over the years.

Last Monday, the federal government renewed a N4 billion monthly contract with Government Ekpemupolo, also known as Tompolo, a former leader of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, for the surveillance of oil pipelines.

However, the organisation demanded in a statement on Sunday that the federal government and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) revoke the agreement with Tompolo to host former Niger Delta agitators from Akwa Ibom State, noting that the majority of the oil and gas pipelines pass through the state.

“In 2015, when President Goodluck Jonathan was about to hand over to President Muhammadu Buhari, Ex-Militants from Akwa Ibom State in our numbers protested to the National Assembly against a similar contract which did not accommodate us.

“The leadership of the National Assembly with Heads of security agencies received our protest letter and assured us that Akwa Ibom Ex-Militants will be accommodated in future contracts.

“It is wrong for the federal government to shortchange the youths of Akwa Ibom State by awarding such a bogus contract to a sectional former leader of Ex-Militants while Gas and Oil pipelines crisscross our land but we are not engaged, we won’t accept such marginalisation. 
 
“We are giving the federal government a seven-day ultimatum to address the situation or we will embark on a marathon protest that will shut down oil and gas production in Akwa Ibom State.

“Our youths have refused to be involved in oil theft and pipeline vandalism because of our patriotism for Nigeria and the agreement we signed with the federal government during the amnesty deal should not be criteria for us to be marginalised in the award of such a contract,” it stated.

In order to prevent further unrest and any unfavourable acts that would undermine government aims, the committee suggested the federal government award the contract in segments to accommodate adolescents of all the oil-producing states in the region.

“We are familiar with the terrain and pipeline routes running across the state and only youths from Akwa Ibom State can protect the pipelines better than a visitor, if our youths are engaged in such a project, the rate of unemployment will reduce.”, the group stressed.