Ex-militants write Munguno, others over OML30 contract

Eshanekpe Israel

Ex-militants under the aegis of the National Coalition of Niger Delta Ex-Agitators (NCNDE-A) have protested to the National Security Adviser (NSA) to the President, Babagana Munguno over alleged disengagement from the surveillance contract of OML30.

The surveillance contract was reportedly taken over over from Erasko Ltd by the Ocean Marines Solution Ltd (OMSL) last year.

The ex-militants also wrote to Chief of Staff to the President; Senate President, Speaker of the House of Reps; Director General of the Department State Service, (DSS), Yusuf Bichi; the Chief of Naval Staff and the Inspector General of Police (IDP), over the same issue.

NCNDE-A’s National President, Eshanekpe Israel, a.k.a Akpodoro, in a statement on Monday, explained that the decision to write security agencies was taken following a well attended meeting of the leaders in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.

According to the statement, the ex-agitators were ready to go into trenches against OMSL in Urhoboland, noting that the surveillance firm had taken the people for granted for too long, stressing that they had been pushed to the edge by the company, which it said had made peace impossible in the area.

It warned of dire consequences if the OMSL was  allowed to continue to undermine ex-militants in its operational areas, particularly in Urhoboland, noting that the group had fulfilled all righteousness by alerting the authorities  of the dangers ahead.

According to the Urhobo-born Israel, the group asked the OMSL to engage all the ex-militants it inherited from Erasko Ltd as instructed by the National Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) through Heritage Operational Services Ltd at inception of its operations.

Israel stressed that the workforce inherited from Eraskon by OMSL were sacked, while those its indebted to were not being paid the huge backlog, thereby denying them of their means of livelihood.

This development, he stated, only took place in Urhoboland, which had the largest part of the OML30, while it engaged continuously ex-militants of Isoko, Ijaw and Itsekiri nations.

He wondered how long the ill treatment and gross marginalisation of Urhobo ex-militants last saying that enough is enough.

Other security agencies and top public officials the ex-militants wrote to, according to the statement, included ‘Operation Delta Safe’, the Delta State governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa; Delta State DSS Director; the Delta State Commissioner of Police; 222 Battalion, 3 Battalion, NPDC MD, Heritage Energy Operational Services Ltd, and the GMD Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

The letter, Israel stated, informed the security agencies and the authorities that should the OMSL refused all appeals to engage Urhobo ex-militants in its surveillance contract, it should be told in clear terms to evacuate Urhoboland, or its operations there would no longer be guaranteed.  (Daily Independent)