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Presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in the 2023 election, Mr. Dumebi Kachikwu, has tackled Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, over Tantita’s pipelines security contract.
Last weekend, Fubara told a high-powered Federal Government delegation led by National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, that “security of pipeline should not be given to one man or one person. How can someone from Kalabari be controlling the pipeline in Ogoni?”
In his reaction to the governor’s statement, Kachikwu in a reaction circulated in Abuja, yesterday, urged Fubara to create and award contracts to ex-militants in his domain if he is not comfortable with what the federal government “has done by identifying a competent and trusted security firm like Tantita to provide additional layer of security for the nation’s oil assets.
“Frankly, I am astonished that governor Fubara made such a statement.
“He is the governor of a state that is one of the leading states in crude oil theft and illegal refining activities.
“One would have expected that the gains the federal government and Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) are making, through the partnership with Tantita, and other security agencies, would be applauded by him like all well-meaning Nigerians are doing but he chose to talk there about contract being awarded to one man.
“Did the federal government award the pipeline contract to a man or a company? This approach of ‘let us share contracts for the boys’ must stop.
“If the governor is so interested in contracts being awarded to former militants he can create and award contracts to those of them in his domain. After all, he is the governor. He can do what he likes.
“What is now clear to all Nigerians is that the federal government means business in its war against crude oil theft, and they are only working with trusted partners who they know won’t compromise.
“We must all support this effort and not reduce this to our usual comedy routine,” said Kachikwu.
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