The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) yesterday said the $ 40 million being paid annually to some ex- militants to guard the country’s pipelines is illegal, unconstitutional and indefensible.
National publicity secretary of the party, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said in a statement that the main causes of the overheating of the polity today is the reckless manner political power is exercised and monopolised by a few individuals.
He “We state again emphatically that it is totally unacceptable and unconscionable, even unprecedented especially in a fragile federation like ours, for any government to hand over the security of its entire maritime domain to a private firm a group of ex-militants for that matter given the far reaching implications of such a decision for trade, security, ports and shipping of the country.
“What is the agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan in allowing this to happen? Why would a government so willingly abdicate its responsibility of ensuring the security of its maritime domain? What were the ministers thinking when they approved this dangerous memo.”
He added that it is self serving, irresponsible, untenable and illogical to defend the federal government action, saying, “It is outrageous decision to hand over the security of not only our entire maritime domain but also the responsibility of protecting our pipelines to ex-militants. In the first instance a decision as momentous as this ought to have been a subject of rigorous national debate.
The entire transaction lacks transparency and due process and finally it passes a vote of no confidence in our armed forces and security agencies that are constitutionally mandated to provide these services.”
He therefore urges the National Assembly to immediately wade into the matter and stop the arrangement due to its national security implications.
