It appears that the dust has not settled yet about the issue of the Federal Government Pipeline, Oil and gas facilities surveillance contract in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria as the people of Oil-rich Orashi region of Rivers State are demanding 50% of the contract.
The Orashi National Congress (ONC), the apex socio-cultural organization of the oil-rich Orashi region of Rivers State, which comprises the people of Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni, Abua-Odual, Ahoada East & Ahoada West LGA, made this demand during their 30th Congress meeting held in Omoku City on Thursday 26th October, 2023.
The three-point demand of the people, which was read by the honourable Secretary General of ONC, HRH Amb. Bright Abali, included:
1. That the good people of the oil-rich Orashi region are pained by the neglect of the Federal Govt, its agencies/ parastatal and multi-nationals in the joint venture of the NNPC for giving contract of surveillance/protection of oil/gas facility in orashi domain to non-indigenous company, which does not know about the Orashi terrains.
2. That The Federal Government should as a matter of importance review the contract and award 50% of it to indigenes of the Oil-rich Orashi region, which is the hub of Oil/gas in Nigeria to be beneficial to the host communities of Orashi.
3. That the good people of Orashi have peacefully protected oil/gas facilities in their region for 60years without any sabotage for free without payments, thus should be trusted with the contract of protecting the facilities now that the government is rewarding people with such contract.
The Congress said it will be difficult for the people of the region to guarantee the safety of any oil/gas facility in their domain when the surveillance is not entrusted to Indigenes.
Speaking to newsmen after the event, the President-General of Orashi National Congress, Snr. Comrade Emeni Ibe, appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to swiftly address the marginalization of the people of the oil-rich Orashi region and review the surveillance contract to build the trust of the people in his administration.
He also called for the award of water desilting contract to clear the water ways, rivers, canals, tributaries in Orashi region, which will address the annual flooding in Orashi region of Rivers State.
It will be recalled that the Federal Government under the Past administration of President Muhammadu Buhari awarded the Niger Delta oil/gas pipeline Surveillance contract to Tantita Security, a company own by Mr. Government Ekpemupolo, who hails from Delta State. This did not go down well with people from the host communities, which are calling for the review of the contract to favour indigenes of oil/gas bearing communities of Rivers State.
View Comments
The demand of Orashi National Congress is absolutely legitimate. Their demand should as a of importance considered by the Federal Government in view of reviewing the said Surveillance Contract of Oil Facilities in Niger Delta Region for interest of peace and justice. Most of the Oil Pipelines are in the region and it will be unjust for non indigenes of the area to continue handling the job and expect the security of the oil facilities to guaranteed.