By Abdullahi Alhassan, Kaduna
The Coalition of Arewa Civil Societies groups has back the award of surveillance of crude oil pipeline by Nigerian National Petroleum Company,N N P C , speaking at a World Press conference in Kaduna by the Spoke person of the Coliation,Mallam Aminu Abbas said,
"Our attention has been drawn to the unpatriotic call made by a faceless Arewa Group on the crude oil surveillance contract awarded by federal government through NNPC limited to a respected Nationalist of repute, Government Ekpemupolo better known as Tompolo.
The people sponsoring the said group are ignorant of the current realities on how those involved in oil theft and bickering has affected our nation economy. it's worrisome and disgraceful that when government took such timely decisive positive action on what will have a positive impact on our country's economic prosperity, a faceless group like the so called Amalgamated Arewa Youth Groups could be attacking them and then causing disaffection within the citizenry.
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 the Production and sales of oil reduces drastically, 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.
"The condemnation 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 group further explain" To set the record straight, as at today, the issues affecting us ( Arewa) including Banditry, cattle rustling, kidnapping and other menace of insecurities that had remain a new order of the day, the activities mentioned have crippled our region economic activities and if appropriate measures are not taken, nobody can predict the faith of our region in the next one year.
"We are confident that The government have awarded the contract to his company base on his track record, loyalty & 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.
"We want to use this medium in thanking Mr President for taking the right decision because our National asset will be secured even more by engaging the host communities to also join hands with our security agencies in protecting this facilities and in return would boast the Nigerian economy.
"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 respected people like High 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.
"We considering his vast experience and capacity in peace and conflict resolution, it's an insult to assign only little portion of our critical infrastructure to him for Surveillance our railway line require surveillance as well , there's nothing wrong if the federal government engage their services to help secure other critical economic prone infrastructure facilities aside the pipeline in our country to complementing the efforts of the armed forces.
The coalition group noted "At a time like this; when the entire 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, hence government/NNPC action of contracting pipeline surveillance is a step in the right direction hence the good people of AREWA and her groups endorse this action, it's our request and agitation for the government to protect people and property in the north and the entire Country just as they have began a move outside the usual way.
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.
The group pointed out that "High chief Expemuoplo is a son of the soil and he has all it takes to bring about the significant visible improvement in that particular tasks, so therefore, we commend president Muhammadu Buhari for his approval and we equally pass a vote of confidence on the state minister of petroleum resources and the GMD of NNPC limited for following due process in awarding of the said contract, the transparent and due process followed before the award of the said contract further proves to us that they for the interest and development of our country.