By Akinwale Kasali
Leaders of various Civil Society Organizations, CSOs, have held a Rally at the Gani Fawehinmi Park in Ojota, Lagos, calling for a stop to the pattern of giving Pipeline Contracts to people associated with violence in the country.
The Groups expressed full support for the reforms of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and asked Nigerians to be patient to reap the fruits when they mature. But they condemned the Federal Government on its idea of awarding contracts to ex-militants.
The Groups under the aegis of the Civil Society Coalition for Mandate Protection, (CSC-MAP) at the rally cautioned that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, may be unconsciously empowering armed groups through pipeline contracts in the Niger Delta.
It said that the pipeline protection should be given to professionals and that pipelines in Itsekiri and Yoruba territories should not be given to former bandits who once led armed insurrection against the state.
Over 1000 representatives of indigenous peoples from oil producing communities in Lagos, Ondo and Delta States attended the rally.
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.
Some of the banners with different inscriptions read, ‘Stop Pipeline Contracts to Bandits’, ‘No more pipeline contracts for former militants,’ ‘Don’t Give Pipelines Protection in Itsekiriland to Our Enemy’, ‘Probe illegal Arms in Niger-Delta’, Okuoma Killings: Who gave The Guns.’
CSC-MAP said it 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.
The coalition said the indigenous people vehemently oppose the idea of giving the protection of pipelines protection in Itsekiri and Ilaje lands to Government Ekpemuopolo popularly known as Tomopolo, who they said had 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 NNPC 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”, the Groups said.
The coalition said oil producing communities are concerned that while oil pipleline 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 the pipelines protection are not indigenous to the communities and territories that are expected to protect.
“The ndigenous 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”.
It also said that the danger of given Pipeline Contracts to ex-militants is that leaders of armed groups in the name of pipeline protection are being fortified and funded to have dominion on Itsekiri and Ilaje territories which is totally unacceptable.
“Itshekiri and Ilaje Communities in Ondo, Delta and Lagos State call on the 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.
Leaders who spoke at the rally were the CSC-MAP Deputy Coordinator, Micheal Ajayi, Assiastant Secretary, Ajayi Lateef and other officials of the Group that included; Abubakar Salami and Uzor Jideofor.
The Group said millions of youths remain unemployed in Iteskiri communities eventhough they are from oil producing communities.
It added that the 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.
It stressed that the Federal Government should ensure pipeline protection does not lead to proliferation of arms in the oil producing communities, adding that the communities are worried following the killings of 17 soldiers in the Niger Delta which shows clearly that certain elements in the Niger Delta are in possession of dangerous weapons.
“That 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”.
CSC-MAP further stressed that the communities are worried and feel unsafe following the killings of 17 soldiers, which
clearly that illicit arms remain in large numbers in the Niger Delta.
“We call for immediate and thorough investigations to find out if there is a link between arms proliferation in the Niger Delta, oil pipeline contracts and the recent killing of the soldiers. That failure to address these burning issues may lead to outbreak of hostilities the Niger-Delta.
“The community based organisation in the oil producing communities are concerned about old and fresh environmental problems arising from busting of illegal refineries, social and cultural issues associated with oil production pipeline protection in Nigeria.
“CSC-MAP is also concerned with issues of pollution, security and other indigenous issues relating to oil production in Nigeria. The Civil Society Coalition for Mandate Protection, (CSC-MAP) is a coalition of 55 civil society, community-based organisations and faith based groups spread across Nigeria.
The group was established in 2007 as a platform for the protection and defence of democracy, justice and the rule of law in Nigeria.
CSC-MAP has been involved in peace building and conflict prevention in the past 16 years through workshops, training advocacy and networking in urban and rural communities in Nigeria.
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