The people of Ndokwa in Delta State, under the umbrella of the Organised Ndokwa Effort (ONE), have rejected the exclusion of her people, especially the youth, in the award of the oil pipeline surveillance contract.
The group, therefore, called on the Federal government to immediately involve the host communities in the pipeline surveillance contract awards in order not to destabilise the already existing regime of peace and security in the area.
Ndokwa land is a major oil and gas producing hub in the Niger Delta, with a network of pipelines, which are easily accessible on the surface and at various depths across the over 67km of the OB3 pipeline.
The group took the position at an extraordinary meeting of the leaders, youths, and elders, where they declared and adopted a 10-point communiqué for the up-liftment of the area, and the empowerment of Ndokwa youths.
“Our preference for constructive, humane, and matured approach to the path of destruction, does not mean that we should be undermined, despised, and provoked to halt our age-long peaceful disposition.
“This can easily compromise the supply of Gas resources for the multi-billion US Dollar Nigeria – Morocco Gas pipelines and the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano Gas Pipelines projects, amongst others, that are directly wheeled away from the locations we know very well within our communities, the group said.”
In a statement issued at the end of its extraordinary meeting, Mr. Ossai Udom, chairman of ONE, insisted that the youths of the various host communities in Ndokwa should be appreciated, commended, and encouraged for their great efforts in ensuring that the area does not engage in Oil and Gas pipeline vandalisation or illegal refinery ,which has made Ndokwa the indisputable peace domain of the Niger Delta region.
They, therefore, demanded that the Federal government must involve Ndokwa youths in safeguarding the right of way of the pipelines “within our areas against migrating pipeline vandals, fleeing from neighbouring communities where their operating bases are closed.
“ONE insists that the path of ‘collectivity’ should be preferred to ‘singularity’ as no individual or corporate body equates to a consortium of communities. ONE, therefore, admonishes that ‘One-spot-burst’ at any location, is tantamount to an ‘All-pipeline-loss’; explaining that togetherness guarantees security, but singularity enhances avoidable busts.
“Ndokwa people are always ready to support and cooperate with the Federal Governments effort towards actualising the regulatory activities of the petroleum industry for sustainability, availability, and affordability of the integrated community development projects at our grassroots communities.”
The group further said, “for the avoidance of doubt, no pipelines surveillance contract was awarded to any community within our area, insisting “on citizens’ engagement, the concept of awarding the contracts to corporate bodies, aliens, or non-indigenes instead of the Host Communities is unacceptable.
“Our communities will be required to take responsibility considering that their environment directly suffers the sickening and fatalistic effects of any spillage, fire and pollution resulting from burst pipelines.
“It is only in this way that our youths as trained security guards can maximally benefit from the contracts based on Kilometer length of pipeline situated within our native land areas, and not within any corporate organization’s premises or any individual’s compound.
“Peace is not cheap. The Ndokwa culture of peace is sustainable, and our non-violent approach is encapsulated as an acronym for a ‘People Effort for Achieving Collective Empowerments’ (PEACE). This is in the aftermath of a historical event over 170 years ago, when our armed Aboh Youths disarmed, arrested, and imprisoned the British trespassers – the Lander Brothers – who were later ransomed by the great King of Nembe.
“Thus, our current sacrifice for peace should not be taken for weakness as we take pride in using so much more strength to restrain ourselves from anger and violence than to weakly release ourselves to avoidable destructive acts,” the statement emphasised.
The group warned NNPC Limited not to take actions that could be detrimental to the spirit and letters of the provisions of PIA, HOSTCOM Fund, and Local Content Act for protecting the interests of the host communities.
“They should seek amicable ways to resolve issues by amending the obnoxious pipeline’s surveillance contract. A consortium of the communities traversed by the pipelines represented by the Host Community Trust Fund ought to be awarded the pipeline surveillance contract.
“In that way, profits from the contract are integrated into grassroots development needs of such communities for equity and security and the money for jobs being done by the youths of our communities will not be pocketed by any individual or company that is alien to the community.
“This is the assurance for direct employment of jobless youths as career pipeline guards who are remunerated as lifetime jobs which will go a long way to restore dignity in labour, improve their wellbeing, curb youth restiveness, and ensure the sustenance of peace and security.
“Our people belong to their respective towns on land and in the creeks, but agreed to Ndokwa without barriers, in promoting the supreme objective of the wellbeing of our community, especially at the grassroots.
“In solidarity with fellow Niger Delta people who stand for PEACE in the area, we are committed to continuing supporting the Federal government in its efforts to liberate our oil-producing communities from the myriad of challenges we currently face,” the group stated in the statement.