By Ikhili Ebalu , Benin City
A Socio – Cultural Group, the Benin Solidarity Movement (BSM) worldwide,has called on the Federal government to
Engage Host Communities and security agencies to over see the Surveillance of the oil pipe lines in the Niger / Delta region.
The group in a release made available to journalists in Benin City and signed by the
President,Elder Comrade Curtis Eghosa Ugbo and
Ms. Esohe Adun,
General Secretary, said that if the issue is not given a fair treatment in record time it may snowball into a fiery bush fire that may become too cumbersome to handle.
According to them , ” the recent cross region brick brat between the Northern and Southern region of the country on the issue of the award of Security Surveillance contract worth billions of naira awarded to ex-Niger Delta militant leader, High Chief Government Oweizide Ekpemupolo(aka Tompolo) by the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Limited should be re- visited.
“The Northern youths should trend with caution because they cannot eat their cake and still have it, the Southern Nigeria especially the Niger Delta have been marginalized over the years and have suffered more even as the region that lay the golden egg.”
Benin Solidarity Movement BSM Worldwide , ” call for a change in the deal; Our suggestion is that a Special Task Force be set up made up essentially of people from the Host Communities who should work hand in hand with operatives of the security agencies”.
They further stated that, “Members of the special task force group should be entitled to some reasonable amount of stipends to take care of their logistics and keep them going.
“Tompolo should please reject the contract as it was not given to him in good faith; It was given to him to cause confusion within the Niger Delta region and even beyond.
They advised, ” the Youths of the country and indeed the Niger Delta should not let the issue of the contract award to cause a divide in their midst. There is strength in unity”. They concluded.