Don’t award pipeline security contract to Tompolo, Arewa youths tell FG

From: Femi  Oyelola, Kaduna 

Northern youths under the auspices Arewa Youth Assembly (AYA) have asked the Federal Government and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to shelve the ideas of awarding the nation’s oil pipeline surveillance contract to former militant commander, Oweizide Ekpemupolo popularly known as Government Tompolo.

Arewa youths argued that, awarding contracts of policing a national asset like the crude oil pipeline to people in character of Tompolo, who they described as an enemy of the state, a militant, a renowned pipeline vandal, will send the wrong signal that bandit leaders can also seek a contract to police the Aso Rock.

The youths while addressing a press conference at Arewa House, Kaduna on Thursday said, Tompolo is on the same radar with terrorists like Abubakar Shekau , Bello Turji, Nnamdi Kanu, Sunday Igboho and Mohammed Yusuf among others, who see nothing good in the country.

According the Deputy Speaker of AYA, Abdulsalam Mohammed Kazeem, award such contract to Tompolo, will send wrong signal to the youths and future generation who have been holding firm to the belief that hard-work pays, and that cultism, militancy and cyber crime are not the way to go.

Kazeem said, “Information on the disposal of the Arewa Youth Assembly is that, the NNPC limited under the leadership of Mallam Mele Kolo Kyari and the Federal Government is planning to assign the job of pipeline surveillance to an enemy of  state, a militant, a renowned pipeline vandal, Oweizide Ekpemupolo popularly known as Government Tompolo.