Some former Niger Delta militants in Ondo State have called on President Bola Tinubu to look into the plans by the Nigerian National Petroleum Cooperation Limited to re-award the pipeline surveillance contracts to some ex-militant leaders in the region to carry out security and monitoring of pipelines against vandals.
The group, under the auspices of the Niger Delta Coastline Vanguard, also urged the president to review the existing policy on the decentralisation of the new surveillance project to accommodate leaders of ex-militants in the state.
This was contained in a letter sent to the president and signed by the National President, National Secretary and Public Relations Officer of the group, Akogun Job, Ajiroba Lucky and Omoyele Ishola, respectively.
A copy of the letter was made available to our correspondent on Sunday.
The group which comprises ex-militants who, under the presidential amnesty programme, submitted weapons and were granted a pardon in 2017, said the government promised to properly integrate them into the Federal Government amnesty programme with all accrued benefits.
In the letter, the NDCV demanded the decentralisation of the pipeline surveillance contract to accommodate members of the group to cover Ondo, Ogun, and Lagos states littoral corridors.
Parts of the letter read: “We are aware of the serious implication the neglect of this agitation could cause to the region, More so, when the contract is awarded to a person who is not too familiar with the region. We are also very much comfortable with the tremendous peace being enjoyed at the moment and we want it to continue.
“On this note, we demand decentralisation of the pipeline surveillance contract to accommodate NDCV to cover Ondo, Ogun and Lagos States littoral corridors. The NDCV has the capacity, the required intelligence, and human resources to collaborate with the Federal Government in the surveillance of pipeline and anti-bunkering activities in the area.”
It read further: “The NDCV is familiar with the terrain for effective and efficient output and we shall not allow or accept any deliberate attempt by government or agent of government to impose someone from another region who does not belong to our ethnic nationality on us to sustain the existing peace in the region.”
