By Ola ‘Kiya, Reporting
A group, the Centre for Human Rights and Anti-Corruption Crusade (CHURAC) has warned Chief Rita Lori-Ogbebor to stop attacking Chief Government Ekpemupolo alias Tompolo over the pipeline surveillance contract awarded him recently.
Stonix News had reported that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd (NNPCL) had, recently, awarded a pipeline surveillance contract of N4 billion to the former leader of the defunct Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND).
Chairman, Board of Trustees of CHURAC, Cleric Alaowei, Esq., in a statement on Tuesday in Warri, Delta State, argued that the call for the revocation of the contract in some quarters was uncalled for.
He said as a free citizen, Tompolo deserved the contract as much as the Olu of Warri, whom, he alleged, also manages similar contract of his late father-in-law’s company, Ocean Marine Company.
The rights lawyer wondered why Chief Lori-Ogbebor would oppose the contract awarded Tompolo and not oppose the one awarded the late Captain Hosa Okunbor’s Ocean Marine Company.
According to him, Lori-Ogbebor, who’s the Igba of Warri Kingdom, lacks the moral rectitude to call for the revocation of Tompolo’s surveillance contract if she won’t do same to others.
Alaowei, therefore, advised Alhaji Asari-Dokubo and the Itsekiri chief, Lori-Ogbebor, to rally round Tompolo to succeed in the pipeline security contract awarded to him rather than trying to pull him down.
“With the barrage of oppositions swelling up against the oil pipeline surveillance contract awarded to High Chief Government Ekpemupolo a.k.a Tompolo by some disillusioned Nigerians, we expect the least of such tirades from the person of Chief Rita Lori-Ogbebor who’s from the Warri Federal Constituency like Tompolo.
“If Chief Lori-Ogbebor felt it’s not advisable for the NNPC Ltd to award an oil pipeline surveillance contract to private individuals, then she should start calling for the revocation of the same contract awarded to Ocean Marine Company owned by the late Captain Hosa Okunbor which is now being handled by the revered Olu of Warri.
“Chief Lori-Ogbebor, who has suddenly become vocal in her opposition to the contract, should not forget that the same contract is awarded to the Olu of Warri who is also a private individual like Tompolo.
“We await to hear from her by calling on the FG to revoke all the contracts awarded to private individuals.
“We make bold to say that Rita Lori-Ogbebor has no moral rectitude to lopsidedly call for the revocation of the contract awarded to Tompolo who is a free citizen like others.
“There’s no security threats anywhere in the Niger Delta over the award of the contract to Tompolo or any other person.
“In fact, President Buhari has just done the noble thing by granting one of the 16-point demands of PANDEF.
“It would have been the other way round if the FG refused to carry the Niger Delta people along in the oil exploratory activities.
“We’re happy that Tompolo has used the contract to come to the rescue of the host communities by employing willing youths within his areas of operation to help protect the oil pipelines,” he noted.
He further appealed to Alhaji Asari-Dokubo to join hands with his brother, Tompolo, to ensure that the latter successfully executes the contract, adding that he could apply for same from the Federal Government if he so wished.
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