Alhaji Mujahid Abubakr Dokubo-Asari has challenged the Olu of Warri and social commentator Joel Omosere Agho to address allegations surrounding ₦2.7 trillion in pipeline security payments, insisting that the controversy should focus on facts rather than personal attacks.
In a statement issued by his spokesman, Alabo Daerefa-a Christopher Braide, Dokubo-Asari said questions about the reported payments, transparency and the underdevelopment of the Niger Delta deserved clear answers.
The statement said Dokubo-Asari was not defending High Chief Government Oweizide Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, but questioning what it described as selective scrutiny of Niger Delta figures involved in pipeline security arrangements.
Agho, popularly known as Mr Common Sense, had questioned why the region remained underdeveloped despite substantial sums reportedly linked to pipeline security contracts.
Read Also: nigerias-crude-oil-production-rises-to-2-34
Dokubo-Asari challenged Agho to explain why his criticism allegedly focused on Tompolo and Dokubo-Asari while the Olu of Warri and Osahon Idahosa were also named in claims concerning pipeline security payments.
However, the statement stressed that the figures and contractual interests attributed to the individuals must be independently verified.
It also argued that private contractors should not bear sole responsibility for the Niger Delta’s development challenges, saying elected governments and public institutions have statutory responsibilities for infrastructure and public services.
The statement acknowledged that contractors could be questioned about their earnings, contracts and contributions to host communities.
It called on all parties to provide documentary evidence to support or dispute the allegations, adding that accountability should extend to governments, development agencies and oil companies.
“The issue is not who can trade the harshest words,” the statement said, urging stakeholders to prioritise transparency and the needs of oil-producing communities.
