By Emma Amaize,  Festus Ahon, Akpokona Omafuaire & Brisibe Perez
WARRI- CHAIRMAN of Advocacy Committee against Oil Facility Vandalism and Deputy Governor of Delta State, Mr. Kingsley Otuaro, has appealed to youths of Gbaramatu Kingdom, Warri South-West Local Government Area of the state to rise up and secure oil facilities in their domain, whether or not they were part of Niger Delta Avengers, the militant group responsible for the renewed attacks on oil facilities in the Niger Delta region.

Otuaro made the appeal at a Town Hall meeting with the youths and ex-militants  in Oporoza, after he conferred with the traditional ruler of Gbaramatu kingdom, HRM Williams Ogoba, Oboro Gbaraun II.  He also charged the people of Egbame Kingdom, Delta State not to engage in the destruction of oil facilities so as not to further cripple the economy that is already facing serious challenge.

Pipeline  vandalism

Otuaro, gave the advice, yesterday, while addressing people of the kingdom in Ogbudugbudu community, Warri North Local Government Area of the state, when he led members of the Advocacy team as part of the sensitisation against pipeline Vandalism.

The deputy governor who spoke to the people in Ijaw language, said pipeline vandalism would have negative effect not only on the nation, and state but also on the communities in the kingdom as well. While condemning the rate of the dastardly act going on in the riverine area, he said that  no government would attain meaningful development with the  destruction of its oil facilities.

Also, the five Ijaw/Itsekiri surveillance workers arrested  by soldiers in connection with last Friday bombing of Chevron Nigeria Limited, CNL, pipeline in Makaraba community, Gbaramatu clan, Warri South-West Local Government Area, Delta State, have reportedly being handed over to the Delta State Police Command in Asaba. Soldiers had earlier combed the creeks to the 19th Battalion, Nigerian Army, Koko, Warri North Local Government Area last Saturday, barely 24 hours after the incident.

Army authorities alleged that suspected were members of the Niger Delta Avengers, the militant group bombing oil installations in Delta State and other parts of Niger Delta region.  Also, to avert a backlash, Chevron entered into closed-door meeting with the families of five surveillance workers arrested by soldiers soon after the bombing of the facility. Dependable sources hinted that top Chevron officials met with the workers at the company’s office in Warri.

Meanwhile, the Chevron contractor, who the ‘suspects’ work for, Gabriel Emiko, has given account of how soldiers arrested the workers. Speaking to Vanguard on phone, Mr. Emiko said: “Following the explosion on the pipeline, the Chevron Single Sign-On, SSO under Utunana sent the boys to identify the spot on the platform that was attacked.” He said that they were arrested while carrying out the task.

Meanwhile, HRM Ogoba had earlier told the deputy governor and his team that the manhunt for ex-militant leader, who is one of his subjects, was political motivated and urged President Muhammadu Buhari not to see Tompolo as an adversary to facilitate the peace process.

The youths, who also spoke, told the deputy governor that they were not militants and complained about harassment of innocent citizens of the kingdom by the military. One of their leaders, Moses Yabrade, noted that they were ready to join forces with government to fight pipeline vandals despite constant harassment by soldiers.

He noted the unwarranted arrest and incarceration of five pipeline surveillance workers by soldiers under the pretext that they were members of Niger Delta Avengers, saying that such harassment would not help the situation. The youth leader stated that over 80 per cent of pre-Amnesty issues were unattended to by government.

The youths also expressed concern that people of the region, deemed close to the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, were being hunted, among them Tompolo, who is zealously protecting oil installations from vandals.

They called for the funding and take-off of the Nigerian Maritime University, Okerenkoko, to engage the youths.

Earlier, HRM Ogoba, who insisted that Tompolo’s travails were politically motivated, said, “Political aggression of one another will not bring peace to anyone. I appeal to the President Muhammadu Buhari -led federal government not to take up political aggression against High Chief Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, but to see him as his son so as to stop pipeline vandalism and restore peace back in the Niger Delta region.”

The monarch continued: “I am appealing to the Federal Government to stop taking political aggression against Tompolo because it will not bring peace to anyone. Tompolo is my subject and he is from this kingdom. I appeal to you President Buhari to take him as his son and not take political aggression to witch hunt him.”