• Pleads For Support Of Niger Deltans
A former House of Representatives member who represented the Warri Federal Constituency, Hon. Daniel Reyeineju, has thrown his weight behind the Pipelines Surveillance and Security Contract which the Federal government awarded to High Chief Government Oweizide Ekpemupolo, aka Tompolo, recently.
Reyeineju who is an Itsekiri by tribe, expressed his support and trust for Tompolo while fielding questions from our correspondent on phone recently, stressed that there was nothing unusual with the contract just as he noted that the Federal government gave him the contract based on the confidence on his capability to deliver.
According to the former national lawmaker who contested but lost the recent PDP Senate primary for Warri South, the pipelines surveillance contract is an infinitesimal project among others that the Federal government dishes out yearly to other Nigerians outside the Niger Delta, wondering why those protesting against the award to Tompolo do not bother about several marginal oil blocs owners outside the Niger Delta who have been awarded contracts before now.
He stated that the brouhaha being fomented by some persons about the contract was unnecessary because Tompolo as a Nigerian was qualified for the contract, just as he emphasized that the Federal government trusted in his ability based on his track record, to deliver on the contract.
Reyeineju said: “It could have been anybody within the country having the capacity to do it. So, if the Federal government feels that Tompolo has the capacity to protect its facilities, why not? He is from the Niger Delta; he is a Nigerian and he is qualified to do such jobs. So, I don’t have any problem with that.
“A lot of persons have been doing similar jobs in the past. So, for me, Tompolo being awarded that job means nothing to the Niger Delta; it is one of those infinitesimal contracts awarded yearly by the NNPC.
“Some contracts being awarded daily by the NNPC are much bigger than what was given to Tompolo which some persons want to kill themselves about. To me, it is peanut. So, Tompolo should be allowed to do his job. That is my position.”
On his advice to those complaining that Tompolo may not carry everybody along, the former national lawmaker stated that it is not necessary that everybody in Niger Delta must be involved in the execution of the contract, adding that those who cart away huge contracts from NNPC on a daily basis are not harassed as is presently being done to Tompolo.
“Unfortunately, people ride on what I may call a bandwagon entitlement mentality. Must everybody be carried along in just one contract? There are other Nigerians outside the Niger Delta who do major jobs awarded to them by the NNPC. Do these people protest to their offices to be carried along?
“We have people, Nigerians from other parts of the country, major oil contract owners taking over marginal oil fields and they are producing. How many people do those contractors carry along? Do they protest to their offices that they should be carried along?
“Tompolo knows what to do. Can everybody be outside there watching pipelines? The answer is no. There are stakeholders along the pipelines. I could see him reaching out to the stakeholders, traditional rulers, the youths and leaders of communities. He is trying to carry them along. For me, I think he has started well by sensitising the people”, he said.
