Just In : Okowa counters Akeredolu over Award of Pipeline surveillance Contract to Tompolo
Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State and his counterpart in Delta state, governor Ifeanyi Okowa has opposed the claims of his Ondo counterpart, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu over the award of Pipeline surveillance Contract to a private security outfit in which militants’ leader, Government Ekpemupolor, also known as Tompolo, has interest.
While Akeredolu accused the Federal Government of playing the ostrich in awarding the contract to Tompolo, while at the same time displaying hostility against establishment of security outfits by some state governments, Okowa said there was nothing wrong in giving such contracts to a private organisation, saying it was standard practice worldwide.
Commenting on the issue, Delta State governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, hailed the decision of the federal government to award the oil surveillance contract to an indigene of the Niger Delta.
Okowa, who spoke through the State Commissioner for Information, Mr Charles Aniagwu, said it was an acceptable practice all over the world to localise some jobs, adding that the essence of it was to get the buy-in of the locals.
Okowa noted that what was important was to secure the oil facilities, saying “we are happy that the contract is awarded to one of the sons of the Niger Delta.
”Don’t forget, they know the terrain and they are in a better position to secure the oil facilities and what lies beneath the earth of the region.
“We don’t know what Governor Rotimi Akeredolu wants, but we do know that the Federal Government’s decision to award the contract to locals is the best
