- By Dominic Martins,
ASABA Ex-Militants, from the Isoko extraction of Delta State, have called on the Federal Government to consider the ethnic nationality in the award of the pipeline surveillance contracts.
An ex-Agitator and Chairman of the ex-militants’ axis of Isoko, Joseph Okor, Isoko people have long been neglected in the contracts, despite persistent efforts to draw the attention of the Federal Government and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to this.
Okor who spoke in Isoko yesterday recalled that the ethnic group have displayed resilience and determination in their quest for justice and equal opportunities and the peaceful disposition should not be taken for cowardice.
He lamented that the relentless advocacy by two prominent Isoko leaders, namely, Iteveh Ekpokpobe, and Karo Edor, to ensure that the ethnic group is adequately represented in the allocation of pipeline surveillance contracts, has not yielded the desired result.
He said, “The time has come for us to stand together and demand our rightful place in the allocation of pipeline surveillance contracts, “We cannot afford to remain silent while our interests are neglected. It is time for the Federal Government and the NNPC to recognize our contributions and the needs of the Isoko people.”
He urged the Isoko people, home. and abroad to throw their full support behind the efforts of Ekpokpobe and Edor, emphasizing the importance of unity and solidarity in achieving the common goals.
According to him, the Isoko Nation has long been a significant stakeholder in the oil-rich Niger Delta region of Nigeria. Despite their contributions to the country’s oil production, the community has often been marginalized in the allocation of resources and opportunities related to the oil industry. Okor’s call for inclusion in pipeline surveillance contracts reflects a broader struggle for equitable distribution of benefits and opportunities among Nigeria’s diverse ethnic groups.
