The federal government has been urged to get involved in the ongoing dispute over the renewal of pipeline security contracts in Delta State by a group called Global Peace Movement (GPM).
Yesterday in Abuja, Dr. Mike Uyi, the president of Global Peace Movement International in the United Kingdom (UK), made the call.
Ijaw, Itsekiri, and Urhobo—the three communities in Delta State that are protecting the pipeline—have been coexisting peacefully and without incident, according to Uyi.
But he claimed that the peace in the area was in jeopardy due to a recent report about plans to re-award the contracts.
He stated, “The renewal of the pipeline security contract by NNPCL, which has alleged that the protection and maintenance of the crude oil and export pipeline currently being executed by PINEL, a company that employed a large number of Itsekiri youths, be ceded to an Ijaw company, is the current situation that warranted this world press conference.”
It is documented that these communities have existed peacefully and without any issues. It should be noted that the Ijaws only have 6 miles within the delineated area containing thousands of youth, women, men, and the elderly, while Itsekiri has 30 miles within the pipeline protection area.
In line with other communities, he said, “We call on Mr. Mele Kyari to take urgent and immediate actions to douse the tension and allow the Ijaw to guard the Ijaw areas and the Itsekiri to guard the Itsekiri territory.”
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