Surveillance contract: Urhobos give FG one-week ultimatum

 

                The Federal Government’s N9.3billion pipeline surveillance contract to some former militant leaders and the leaders of the O’odua Peoples’ Congress (OPC) has continued to generate controversy in the Urhobo area of Delta state.
                 The leadership of the Urhobo Ethnic Nationality, Host Communities (HOSTCOM) has given the Federal Government one-week to reverse the perceived injustice or jeopardise the safety of oil and gas facilities in their land.               
“At the expiration of the one-week, if the Urhobo portion of the surveillance contract is not given to them, then they would withdraw their indigene working in all the oil and gas facilities across the Urhobo nation and from then onward, (we) would no longer guarantee the safety and protection of the facilities.”
The warning was contained in a press statement issued by the group and the President General/Chairman, Oil Producing/ Impacted Communities of Urhobo Nation at Udu, headquarters of Udu Local Government Area of the state, on Friday.
It was signed by Comrade Efe Okovwurie, Moriss Idiovwa, Mrs Mary Otikiri and Hon Kingskley Akpenimor, Chairman Urhobo HOSTCOM, Coordiantor Urhobo Ethnic Nationality, Youth and Women leaders respectively of HOSTCOM.
It stated; “The first phase of the contract awarded to some of those contractors that were also engaged in the new arrangement had no impact in the oil bearing communities because those recruited were from the urban areas where the oil and gas facilities are not located.
“Others were recruited as ghost workers, hence the communities are insisting the Urhobo portion of it cutting across the eight LGAs of Delta State must be given to the company jointly owned by the oil bearing communities to ensure that indigenes of the communities can benefit.”
The groups noted that information reaching it indicated that some groups of persons were hired and mobilized from the Urhobo Nation for protests in Abuja, adding that the host communities did not mandate the protest on their behalf.
“The agreement reached between the leadership of the various communities and HOSTCOM is to accommodate all stakeholders, including indigenes of oil bearing and impacted communities, the traditional rulers, PGs of kingdoms, youth and women bodes ad Urhobo ex-militants and HOSTCOM leaders.”
Meanwhile, HOSTCOM has debunked media reports that the group was against the emergence of President-Elect, General Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressive Congress (APC). “Contrary to some media report, the Urhobo HOSTCOM and the general Urhobo nation will support and work with General Buhari led government to move Nigeria to greater height.”