… Insists on ‘Decentralized Award of Pipeline Surveillance Contract’
By Amos Odhe, Yenagoa
Ex-militants from the six states of the Niger Delta region, under the aegis of the Supreme Egbesu Freedom Fighters of Niger Delta (SEFFND), have dismmised as “false” and ” sponsored blackmail” the claim that the leader of Niger Delta People’s Volunteer Force, (NDPVF) and former president of Ijaw Youth Council IYC Worldwide, Alhaji Mujahid Dokubo Asari was barred from the Presidential Villa due to an allege rift with President Bola Tinubu.
According to SEFFND, though “those behind the claims have been identified as desperate contractors seeking renewal of the oil pipeline surveillance contracts,” the claim is a calculated attempt to discredit the rising personality of Mujahid Dokubo Asari with the intention of putting a wedge between him and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in other to fuel hostilities in the Niger Delta with falsehood and blackmail.
The SEFFND, in a statement signed by self-styled General Agadagba 1, also known along the creeks and waterways of the region as the River Don, stated that Alhaji Mujahid Dokubo Asari was not barred from the Presidential Villa, adding that “the falsely claim ban against Dokubo Asari was a calculated attempt to discredit him with the intention of creating an imaginary rift between Asari Dokubo and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in other to fuel hostilities in the Niger Delta with falsehood and blackmail.”
General Agadagba 1 also known along the creeks and waterways of the region as the River Don, in the statement stated that after a meeting and proper brief on the issue with various leaders of the militant groups and their unit commanders, it was resolved that Alhaji Mujahid Dokubo Asari has paid the supreme price in the agitation for the emancipation of the Niger Delta question and that the false claim was the handiwork of mischief makers who didn’t believe in the candidature of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and worked against him in the last presidential election in their states.
“We also agreed that these identified ‘mischief makers’ and ‘desperate contractors’ also played double gain during the polls and lost their local government areas and various wards to the major opposition party PDP in the region. It is obvious that they are envious of Alhaji Dokubo Asari taking up a notable position at the centre stage in the seat of power.
“These series of attacks and cheap blackmail on Dokubo are necessitated because of Dokubo stood firm in support of the candidature of Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the APC against their prefferd candidate in the opposition party in the region, and Dokubo to massively mobilize all his men to move to Abuja to be on ground in defence of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s mandate at the presidential tribunal court to victory against all odds, attacks and name calling but never deterd, these persons are just mere detractors and frustrated disgruntled elements who just wants to benefit from a house they never joined to build from the beginning,” they said.
The group of ex-militant leaders also declare support for the style of leadership being displayed by Alhaji Mujahid Dokubo Asari and condemn as baseless, untrue and unfounded purported cheap blackmail orchestrated by mischievous mischief makers sponsored by some envious disgruntled and misguided elements who always take pride in pulling down any rising personality in the region by any means necessary with deliberate falsehood.
“We know those who are behind the fake news, they are not comfortable with Dokubo Asari genuine concern and commitment to stand side by side in support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and for shunning every rebellious attacks and critics from some of these persons and their loyalist, and for him to stand for the betterment and the overall development of the people of the Niger Delta region and the country in general,” they said.
The militant groups also use the medium to “emphatically congratulate President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (GCFR) for the landmark victory on the presidential tribunal judgement,” adding that “these has re affirmed the mandate that the over 200 million Nigeria voters freely given to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on the 25th of February 2023 at the just concluded presidential poll, We also appraise the courage, fairness and the level of transparency of the tribunal judges in dispensing justice despite the media attack and intimidation, name calling and threats from a broad spectrum of Nigerians.”
In addition, the militant group commended Dokubo’s huge concern “in coming out openly with his group of soldiers in defending the electoral mandate freely given by Nigerians to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu from the onset of the presidential tribunal court case, and to occupy the tribunal court premises on the morning eve of the presidential electoral judgement without minding all the critics, media attacks and name calling from mischievous Nigerians across board to this day tribunal victory is something worth commending, because this could be done by only a patriot and someone who uphold same religious faith as what Dokubo Asari displayed so far.”
The group further observed that some ex militants leaders just bent on securing the multi billion naira oil pipeline surveillance contract, “have been going around bribing with millions of dollars to get the attention of some powerful persons in the presidency and in the NNPCL towers to enable them re secure the multi billion dollar trans Niger pipeline surveillance contract that is just expired on the 29th of August, the question we are asking is why should somebody bribe if he is so competent, transparent and been fair enough to all ethnic nationalities in the region?
“Let me advise them to have a rethink and put a stop to these their belief of it is their right to take everything that come to the Niger Delta region alone at all times, because they don’t own Niger Delta and they did not sacrifice more than any other Ijaw sons and they did not also own the oil and gas resources in the Niger Delta more than other ethnic nationalities in the region, because one of our highly respected reverd notable leader and a stakeholder in the face of the Niger Delta struggle have been making huge sacrifices with his men, spending all hard earned resources and adequately mobilized for Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 2023 presidential election project in the region from the beginning before the presidential election victory against all odds, we are not fools, and nobody owns Niger Delta more than us and we are the real face of the Niger Delta people’s emancipation struggle.
“We wish to state it categorically and abundantly clear that we are also capable of handling such multi billion-dollar pipeline surveillance contract job even far better than they are currently doing in the region that is even one sided self benefactor and family business alike”
The statement stressed that “the militant group emphatically warn those desperate ex militant leaders not allow us to spill the beans, because we have water tight information with proofs of their illegal dealings and connivance with some top shots.”
