The convener of Isoko Youth Coalition Against Marginalization in the Award of Pipeline Surveillance Contract in the Niger Delta Region, Iteveh Nur’ Ekpokpobe, has posited that the Isoko nation in Delta state, South South Nigeria, is the most marginalized among all the ethnic nationalities in the Niger Delta region.
Iteveh, an investigative journalist and a rights activist, said despite this unwelcoming action of power brokers in the oil and gas sectors who are systematically marginalizing the isoko people in terms of award of pipeline surveillance contracts and others, the Isoko people have maintained their cool.
He said rather than resorting to mudslinging and attacking authorities, “We have engaged and keep engaging all necessary legal channels to drive our narratives to appropriate authorities.”
Iteveh said the pipeline surveillance contract awarded to Tantita Security Services Ltd owned by Tompolo covered the Isoko ethnic nationality, noting that prior to the award of the contract, Isoko youths were told by the then group executive director and chief operating officer of the defunct NNPC, Mr. Adokiye Tombomieye, to submit a paper showing the volatile axis of pipeline infrastructure in that area.
According to him: “Isoko youths went back home, did a compilation and wrote officially to the office of Mr. Adokiye, in a letter titled Challenges Facing Petroleum production in NPDC/ Joint Venture partners in NPDC OML 30 unsecured wellheads/platform locations, oil field facilities, NPDC OML 26/30 Export pipelines and recommendations.
“This letter was dated 14 June 2022 and received by the office of GED/COO Upstream on 15 June, 2022. Mr. Adokiye on receipt of the letter assured that Isoko youths would be effectively engaged and accommodated in the pipeline surveillance contract as and when awarded. This formed the fulcrum of our agitation as Isoko youths.
“Eventually the contract was awarded with the exclusion of the interest of Isoko nation. Who were those at the helm of affairs? The Minister of State for Petroleum was Chief Timipre Sylva, an Ijaw man from Bayelsa state and the Mr. Adokiye Tombomieye (an Ijaw man from Rivers State), who had been promoted to the office of Executive Vice President (Upstream) of the NNPCL. The contract which covered Isoko region was awarded to Tantita Security owned by Chief Government Ekpemupolo (Tompolo) an Ijaw man from Delta State.
“The Ijaws who are crying foul today saw nothing wrong with the arrangement. Even after I and my partner, Mr. Karo Edor, led Isoko youths to the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public petitions chaired by Senator Ayo Akinyulere, where recommendations were made to the NNPC for Isoko youths to be accommodated, considering their peaceful disposition towards protection of crude oil installation in the Niger Delta Region, we still met resistance.”
Iteveh, who frowned at the attacks on the Executive Vice President (Upstream) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mrs. Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, purportedly from the Ijaw ethnic nationality over her appointment into the new role, said the media attacks were unnecessary just as he said the allegation of favouritism on ground of ethnic bias were laughable and insulting to the sensibilities of other ethnic minorities in the Niger Delta.
He said those who peddle these media attacks should be wary as their action could lead to inter-ethnic crisis of unimaginable proportion in the Niger Delta. He insisted that the Ijaws of the Niger Delta are the most favoured ethnic group in the oil rich region. Mrs. Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan is an Itsekiri from Delta state.
He noted: “I do know and almost everybody in the Niger Delta will agree with me that the Ijaws are the most favored ethnic nationality in the Niger Delta. We must therefore learn to trust the sanctity of the process and not attack individuals on the unfounded grounds of ethnic bias and allegations of nepotism.”
He commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for appointing Eyesan into the position, adding: “We strongly believe that her appointment will bring monumental impact and change in the oil and gas sector. There is no doubt that she will bring in her expertise borne out of both training and experience to bear as a top management staff who has performed excellently well in her previous positions.
“Her milestones in the NNPCL are public knowledge. The Executive Vice President, Upstream, Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan led the top management of the NNPCL to broker a peaceful meeting between Total Energy, the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) as well as the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) following an industrial action embarked on by the two unions. The fruitful intervention led by Eyesan has restored the nation’s crude oil production output of about 275,000 barrels daily by Total Energies to the Federation.
“The issues have been amicably resolved by the NNPCL management on the approval and authorization of the GCEO of NNPCL, Engr Mele Kyari. Indeed, it is a major milestone achieved for the sector in the interest of Nigerians. On behalf of the Isoko Youth Coalition, I urge the new EVP, Mrs Eyesan to remain steadfast in duty as attacks are also part of the job especially in developing climes like Nigeria.”
