The Coalition of Arewa Civil Society Groups (CACSG) has hailed President Muhammadu Buhari for taking the right decision of engaging Chief Government Ekpemupolo in the crude oil surveillance contract to join hands with the security agencies in protecting the nation’s economy.
Mallam Aminu Abbas, spokesman of the group in a statement said, “On a fair note; we as concern Northerners with history of loyalty and dedication, felt it’s high time the government and people of our region reach out to people like Chief Ekpemupolo and other brave and gallant individuals to deploy their native strength and expertise to assist our conventional security agencies on security within and outside our region in securing the pipelines in a way of complementing the efforts of the armed forces towards sustaining crude oil and other economic facilities that enhance the economy strength of the country.”
The lamented that the unpatriotic call made by a faceless Arewa group on the crude oil surveillance contract awarded by the federal government through NNPC Limited to Ekpemupolo better known as Tompolo is timely in order to achieve the government’s determination of protecting its economic base in catering for the wellbeing of its citizens through what it generates.
“The condenmnation call is baseless hence we distance the good people of northern Nigeria to such a myopic action of some faceless group camouflaging in the name of AREWA. It’s important to note that the era of shadow chasing is over, what is expected of any concern Arewa Group at this critical material time is to engage all Concerned stakeholders from within and outside our region on how best to address the lingering problem of insecurity and bring it to a logical end,” the statement observed.
The coalition noted that at the moment, the issues affecting the northern region such as banditry, cattle rustling, kidnapping, and other menaces of insecurities that have become the new order of the day have crippled the region’s economic activities and need proactive steps to be taken in order to come out of the menace.
The group believed that engaging notable individuals to secure the nation’s economy would in no small measure boost the Nigerian economy, saying that this is all that needed to be done irrespective of any difference in order to realise the set objectives in the country.
The statement noted that Nigeria as a country depends on the proceeds from the sale of crude oil and when such facilities are being destroyed on a daily basis, its production and sales would drastically be reduced and at the same time affect the daily running of government, adding, “We as the Coalition of all Civil Society groups in the Northern part of this country have decided to come out in mass within seven days to thank Mr President for taking the decision that would secure our National assets.”
It said at a time the nation is clamouring for expansion of state policing and other native/local security architecture for effective and efficient safety of lives and properties of our citizens, the government/NNPC action of contracting pipeline surveillance is a step in the right direction, saying that it would go a long way to enhance the economy of the country.
“We are confident that the government has awarded the contract to Tompolo company base on his track record, loyalty and dedication to the Nation and his familiarity to the terrain and this will help reduce oil theft and bunkering by over 85% against what we are currently witnessing as well improve IGR of our nation,” the group said.
“It’s high time we join hands together with our southern brothers to build our nation together and do away with all forms of ethnic sentiments, the federal government under President Muhammadu Buhari has done the right thing by awarding the contract to him for the sole purpose of protecting part of our vital national wealth/infrastructure,” it added.
