Leaders of civil society groups yesterday urged President Bola Tinubu and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to engage the indigenous people to monitor pipelines across the Southwest and Itsekiri regions, saying this will aid in the combat against insecurity.
They insist that entrusting pipeline security to those with militant backgrounds undermines Nigeria’s sovereignty and could jeopardise the peace in the axis, saying “the implication will be grievous.”
The groups, however, expressed full support for the reforms of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu asking Nigerians to be patient to reap the dividends.
This was disclosed at a rally held by the Civil Society Coalition for Mandate Protection, (CSC-MAP) at Ojota in Lagos, where over 1000 representatives of indigenous peoples from oil producing communities in Lagos, Ondo and Delta States were present.
The groups said pipeline protection should be given to professionals among the indigenous people and not former bandits who once led an armed insurrection against the state.
The groups said it may be compelled to hold rallies in Abuja to draw the attention of the Presidency, the National Assembly and the International Community.
The protesters carried placards with various inscriptions such as: ‘Stop Pipeline Contracts to Bandits’, ‘No more pipeline contracts for former militants,’ ‘Don’t Give Pipelines Protection in Itsekiri Land to Our Enemy’, ‘Probe illegal Arms in Niger-Delta’, Okuoma Killings: Who gave The |Guns,’ among others.
Specifically, CSC-MAP Deputy Coordinator, Micheal Ajayi, said the group has received complaints from many oil producing communities who feel sidelined by the Federal Government and corporation institutions like oil producing companies and the NNPCL in benefit sharing and job opportunities for the young in the companies involved in oil pipeline protection.
He said indigenous peoples vehemently oppose the idea of giving the protection of pipelines protection in Itsekiri and Ilaje lands to Mr Government Ekemuokpolo said to have led armed battles against the Itsekiri and Ilaje in the past.
“We want President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to succeed. We do not want anything that can lead to another round of crisis in the oil producing communities in the Niger Delta. The NNPCL must never give protection of pipelines in Itsekiri and Ilaje territories to Tompolo who was the ring leader in the ethnic conflict between Itsekiri and Ijaw and between Ijaw and Ilaje. Any attempt to do this is an invitation to chaos.”
He noted that while oil pipeline contracts are a means of providing jobs for local communities, the majority of people in oil producing companies are sidelined by the fact that some of the companies involved in pipeline protection are not indigenous to the communities and territories that are expected to protect.
“The indigenous communities like Itsekiri and Ilaje are being sidelined. There is a looming dispute which can snowball into a major problem. It is inconceivable that oil pipeline protection in Itsekiri and Ilaje have been handed over to interests that fought these communities with arms and ammunition in the past.”
According to him, the danger is that leaders of armed groups in the name of pipeline protection are being fortified and funded to have dominion over the Itsekiri and Ilaje territories which is unacceptable.
“Itsekiri and Ilaje Communities in Ondo, Delta, Lagos states call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to review the oil pipeline contracts to ensure that local and indigenous people that host oil and oil pipelines are direct beneficiaries,’ the CSC-MAP said.
On his part, the group’s Assistant Secretary, Ajayi Lateef lamented that millions of youths remain unemployed in Iteskiri communities even though they are from oil producing communities.
“Indigenous communities in Ondo, Itsekiri Delta, Ogun and Lagos States call on President Tinubu to review the whole indigenous companies operating in these states to ensure that the real beneficiaries are people indigenous to these communities.”
He urged the Federal Government should ensure pipeline protection does not lead to the proliferation of arms in the oil producing communities, saying the communities are worried following the killings of 17 soldiers in the Niger Delta which shows clearly that certain elements in the Niger Delta have dangerous weapons.
Also speaking, an official of the group, Abubakar Salami, said, “The Federal Government should launch a new amnesty to ensure armed groups remaining in the Niger Delta hand over their arms to the Federal Government. That the Federal Government should set up a committee made up of security agencies and community leaders to investigate the source of arms used in the killing of the soldiers and to punish those responsible for the proliferation of arms.”
