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Pipeline surveillance: Tread carefully, N’Delta leader urges Dokubo
Dele Ogunyemi, Warri
Amidst raging agitations over the N4billion per month pipeline surveillance contract awarded by the Federal Government to former commander of erstwhile Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta, Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, a leader in the region, Dr. Clarkson Aribogha, has called on Alhaji Asari Dokubo, to “sheathe his sword and opt for peace with his fellow Ijaw brother, Tompolo.”
The Ijaw leader stated that it was better for Dokubo to align with Tompolo than declare war against him. He said, “You cannot destroy the house you have built. It is better not to get involved than get started because there are more rivers to cross.”
Aribogha, while addressing journalists in Warri, on Friday, expressed concern over the pipeline surveillance issue currently generating reactions from notable Ijaw leaders and eminent Nigerians. He advised Dokubo to “tread softly over the issue else, he may take the wrong step.”
He decried what he tagged ’emotional outburst’ by Dokubo against his fellow Ijaw brother querying rhetorically whether it is “Ijaw national struggle, kalabari struggle or personality egoistic struggle”.
According to him, the noticeable hardline posture, if not halted, may lead Dokubo to soil his integrity and esteemed recognition in all facets.
Aribogha explained that the pipeline surveillance contract should not be likened to ‘manna from heaven’, stressing that the “Federal Government never gave contract to someone sitting at home, uninterested person, or to someone who never applied.”
He said, “Contract award is never by political appointment or civil service recruitment, but based on federal character and an application fulfilling requirements, integrity, capacity, trustworthiness, and acceptance and not by coercion, rather on recommendation, especially on security matters.”
While calling on eminent Ijaw elders including the President, Ijaw National Congress (INC) Professor Benjamin Okaba, to intervene in the worrisome issue, Aribogha, recalled how he attempted to meet with Dokubo at his Benin Republic residence, but for time constraints, was unable to.
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