A chieftain of the Ijaw Youths Council, Collins Eselemo has labeled the Federal Government as the real perpetrators of oil theft in Nigeria.
Eselemo stated this while reacting to the award of pipeline surveillance contract to former militant leader, High Chief Government Ekpemupolo.
The former house of representatives aspirant noted that the government knows the pain of the Niger Delta people, but has persistently refused to address the issues head-on
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He accused the government of using the back-door to further cause division among people in the region, while exploiting their oil.
Eselemo stressed that the move by the government to award pipeline surveillance contract to individuals will not tackle the issues in the Niger Delta.
He stated this when he appeared on Arise TV’s night show earlier in the week.
“It is a deviation from our own declaration. As far as the Niger Delta People are concerned, this is a nonstarter. It is not only despotic, it is excruciating and a serious insult to the people of the Niger Delta.
“Will it not be better for the Federal Government to appropriate this N4 billion contract to crude oil allocation for the people of Niger Delta to apply themselves and make do with the modular refinery?
“The law does not stop the local or state government to run a refinery or own a petroleum and gas company.
“And in this situation, in this predicament, somebody is awarding a contract to a victim of this nefarious activities from all these oil conglomerates?
“Who is stealing oil? The government is stealing our oil. Is it my brother from my village that is stealing my oil? Is it somebody from Itsekiri that is stealing the oil? The government is responsible,” Eselemo stressed.
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