President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been asked to ensure the protection of petroleum pipelines in the South-West geo-political zone is handled by an indigenous company in the region.
The Oodua Nationalist Coalition, (ONAC) in a statement made available to newsmen in Lagos today said people of the South-West were disturbed that contracts for the protection of pipelines in Ijawland were given to indigenous companies in the area while the protection of pipelines in the South-West area had been given to companies not indigenous to the South-West.
“This decision has caused lack of cooperation by indigenous people in the South-West who feel sidelined by the award of pipeline protection in their indigenous territories to companies alien to them.
“Any pipeline protection in the South-West should be handled by companies based and owned by people of the South-West. This is equity based on common sense” the Oodua Nationalist Coalition said in a statement issued on Wednesday.
ONAC is a coalition of 45 pan-Yoruba groups.
In the statement signed by the Organising Secretary, Sunday Akinnuoye and Women Leader, Alahaja Munirat Ojuolape, the coalition commended the President for the renewal of the private pipeline protection mechanism.
The group, however, said the pipelines in the South-West, from Ondo to Lagos, should be handled by a company owned by people indigenous to the South-West.
ONAC said during the Amnesty Programme, armed groups in Ilaje Yoruba territories handed over their weapons as condition for peace and with the hope that the government would address their grievances, but regreted that the Ilaje Yoruba groups had been denied the opportunity given to their counterparts in the Niger-Delta.
The group said that Ondo State had the longest coastline in Nigeria, adding that Ondo and Lagos were oil producing areas.
“The people have voted for APC overwhelmingly since 2015. In the last election, Ondo State recorded the highest percentage of votes for President Tinubu. It is, therefore, embarrassing that the Federal Government does not consider any company worthy in the entire South-West for pipeline protection in the vast territories.
“Security of pipelines can only best be handled by people indigenous to the area. Security is a local matter. The people of the South-West cannot understand why the protection of pipelines in the region is not the responsibility of people who own the land where the pipelines pass through”, the group said.
ONAC said there was no justification for giving out the protection of oil pipelines in the South-West to people from other regions, maintaining that the South-West had a retinue of experts in the Niger Delta Coastline Vanguard (NDCV) that were competent enough to protect pipelines in the entire South-West area, adding that it was high time the protection of pipelines went to indigenous companies in the South-West.
“The pipelines in the Niger Delta are protected by people from that area. There is no justification for giving out pipeline protection in the South West to people from outside the region” ONAC said..
The group said it had to shelf its planned mass demonstration in South-West key cities because it believed President Tinubu would listen to the concerns raised by the people.
“We see what goes on in the North where Civilian Joint Task Force, (JTF) have been set up. The members are local people who are indigenous to the areas of operation. Why should this be different in the case of the oil pipelines in the South-West?”
ONAC said millions of youths in the South-West were angry about the development.
“Apart from the fact that the decision will not guarantee safety for the pipelines since the companies are considered by the people as alien to them, it had also robbed many Yoruba youths the opportunity for jobs at a time of economic meltdown” the group contended.
ONAC declared that it will send petitions to the President and expected that the injustice would be promptly corrected.
