Pipeline Surveillance: Ex-Agitators Demand Own Percentage of Contract from NNPCL

Sylvester Idowu in Warri

Former agitators have called on the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) to include them in the surveillance contract for the protection of pipelines in Delta North Local Government area of Delta State.

They warned that they could no longer watch an individual collects entire block pipelines surveillance contract from the federal government to keep watch over the assets in their communities. Leader of the ex-agitators and immediate past Special Adviser to former Delta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, Aroni Oputu, said that at the end a meeting in Warri yesterday that they would no longer tolerate alleged injustice being meted  out to them in Warri North Local Government area.

He lamented that since they embraced the Presidential Amnesty programme, the federal government has been neglecting them  in its empower programmes and that the only opportunity they have is to be contracted in keeping watch over the pipelines in their local government area.

“We have written an open letter to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria through the Chief of Staff and copied the Senate President, National Security Adviser, Inspector General of Police, Director of State Security Services and Chief of Defence Staff but we are yet to get any response.

“We are the phase one ex-agitators who embraced the Presidential Amnesty Programme. We have been neglected and excluded in the award of pipeline security surveillance contract in our area by the NNPC L. We have complained severally and drawn the attention of NNPCL to this serious neglect of our youths and ex-agitators from Warri North but the Mele Kyari-led NNPCL and his counterpart Mohammed Zarah, has kept deaf ears despite our complaints. The leadership of NNPCL and NPDC has continuously excluded Warri North in the award of pipeline security surveillance Contract,” he said.

Oputu said that there are many oil fields in Egbema kingdom of Warri North local government and yet have nothing to show for it adding: “We have the Igbetu-Okun field, Opuekeba Field, Alero field, OML49 with over 20 Wellheads operated by Chevron, Dibi field, Opuama flowstaion, OML40 with over 20 wellheads operated by NPDC/ECLREST, Conoil OML103 Drilling work ongoing in Warri North and others.

“We hereby call on NNPC for the umpteenth time to give us directly pipeline security surveillance and maintenance contract in our area as we will no longer tolerate injustice being meted on the people of Egbema in Warri North local government area. We have been patient enough,” he added.