The leader of the National Coalition of Niger Delta Ex-Agitators, NCNDE-A, Eshanakpe Israel, a.k.a Akpodoro has called on the president-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to intervene in the “deliberate shortchange of the ex-militants in Urhobo and Isoko land by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led federal government.
Akpodoro, who stated this in a statement mailed to Emerald News, alleged that the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation,NNPCL and its subsidiary, the National Petroleum Development Company, NPDC has perfected plans to set Urhobo and Isoko lands on fire by pitching the people against each other in “an orchestra of deceit” using pipelines surveillance contract award as a smokescreen to burn that axis of the Niger Delta region.
Akpodoro, who is the Mayor of Urhoboland, stated that the call for Tinubu’s intervention becomes necessary owing to the insincerity of the current administration and unwillingness to promote peace in Urhobo lands .
He stated that: “the president-elect should take note that the agitators group, youths and persons in Urhobo and Isoko lands have been denied the award of the security contract of OML 30 and 34 while giving same to a politician and the same people who were blowing the oil pipelines in 2016 and their sponsors at the detriment of those with the right of first refusal.
He told this reporter that former army chief of staff General Buratai promised pipeline surveillance contract to the group members if they could help FG to stop the Avengers but after a job well done by the group, the FG failed, a development which gave rise to the current agitations.
“It is trite to tell the president-elect that the Managing Director, NPDC, ALI MOHAMMAD ZARA and the GCEO , NNPCL, Mele Kyari are hands in-glove to undermine agitators of Urhobo and Isoko extractions but will readily patronise recalcitrant tribes who bomb oil facilities at will while agitators of Urhobo and Isoko are used as cannon fodder in the event of arm confrontation by the Nigerian military as it did in 2016 during the bloody onslaught led by the Niger Delta Avengers, NDA.
“The president-elect should also know that except that contract is withdrawn from the FG’s sole contractor and Senator, there shall not be peace.
According to the group led by General Masskiller, they claimed that they had been fooled enough, insulted enough and deceived for too long. Now, it is time they took their destiny in their hands,” the Mayor stated.
To the incoming President Tinubu, the Mayor said, he should be rightly informed that a group in Urhobo and Isoko, Delta State are currently on the offensive and depleting oil production by blowing up oil facilities while the contractor and those who awarded the contract to him are overwhelmed and making efforts at covering the damages.
“A stitch in time saves nine and now is when to act. We know the president-elect was an expert in the oil industry matters having been a director of one of the global giants in the industry, ExxonMobil. Hence, there’s no doubt that he will deal dispassionately in the torchy issue,” the Mayor stated.
