By Austin Ogwuda
A group has risen in defence of the Olu of Warri, His Majesty Ogiame Atuwatse III, debunking the allegation pressed against him to the effect that he pockets billions of Naira from the Federal government without executing pipeline surveillance contracts awarded his company.
The group known as Children of Drivers and Fishermen Association (CODAFA), in a press statement signed by its National President, Mr Romeo Diden and Secretary, Mr Blessing Okotie, described the allegations by the faceless group on the Pipeline Surveillance Contract awarded to Ogiame Atuwatse lll CFR by the Federal Government “as baseless, malicious and defaming aimed at bringing disrespect to the prestigious throne”
“The faceless group – the Niger Delta Stakeholders Forum (NDS)”, according to the statement “is being sponsored and fed with false accusations that Pipelines Infrastructures Nigeria Limited (PINL), owned by the Olu of Warri, Ogiame, Atuwatse lll CFR does not have a workforce that commensurate with the demands of the contract, therefore, the monarch pockets billions of Naira”.
“The faceless group also alleged that “PINL is handling the largest pipelines surveillance contract in the region, without a workforce.
That the Olu handles over 80% of the surveillance contracts, while Tantita, owned by Tompolo handles less than 20%, and has a workforce of over 25,500 operatives and numerous sub-contractors”, said the statement.
The statement further described the allegations “as wicked act by some individuals to cause disaffection and division in the kingdom while describing it as dead on arrival”.
“Those behind the baseless accusation should desist from such act and noted that the reverend monarch has empowered a lot of people in the kingdom irrespective of tribes including non indigenes”, the statement added.
Source: Emerald News
