The apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, yesterday, criticised the Amalgamated Arewa Youth Groups (AAYG) over its opposition to the award of a pipeline surveillance contract to Mr. Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo.

It has been reported that the Federal Government awarded an oil pipeline surveillance contract to Tomoplo, a development that fueled protest from Northern youths.

Recall that Arewa Youth group went as far as asking President Muhammadu Buhari to sack the Minister of State for Petroleum, Timipre Sylva, Mr Adokiye Tombomelye, Group Executive Director, Upstream, of the Nigeria National Petroleum company (NNPC) limited, over the multi-billion naira contract.

Reacting, the National President of Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC), Mazi Okwu Nnabuike, cautioned AAYG, saying it should stop making provocative utterances.

He said: “The protest from the Northern youth group was unnecessary. It was shocking to see certain persons line up with placards in the name of protest over the pipeline surveillance contract awarded to Tompolo.

“It is unjustifiable that youths, who said they are Nigerians, are protesting a contract given to another Nigerian to protect the country’s oil facilities. Were they expecting that the contract is given to expatriates? Or that it should have been given to them? We find their protest provocative and unwarranted.

“For several months running, Nigeria has been unable to meet its quota in the oil market, and this is largely due to insecurity and sabotage in the oil-rich region. Now that the Federal Government has taken the right step to restore the country’s production capacity, why should any well-meaning Nigerian oppose government’s decision?
IN a different development, OYC, yesterday, felicitated three South East states, Anambra, Abia and Enugu, as they marked the 31st anniversary of their creation. The Ohanaeze youths, however, said more still needs to be done in the South East.

OYC, in a statement by its National President, Nnabuike, described the founding fathers of the states as heroes, advising that every effort should be made not to let their dreams and aspirations die.

While x-raying the level of development in the three states, Nnabuike observed that there are successes; he, however, noted that a lot more still needs to be done.