The Coalition of Isoko Youth Groups against the marginalization of Isoko Nation in the award of Pipeline Surveillance Contract in the Niger Delta Region has called on the Federal Government to turn blind eyes and deaf ears to miscreants and arrest those whose actions are supportive of violence in the Niger Delta region.
The group in a statement in Oleh signed by the conveners, Mr. Iteveh Ekpokpobe and Mr. Karo Edor, stressed that no pipeline were destroyed, weekend, in Isoko Land as claimed by some unscrupulous elements in the media.
The group stressed that Isoko Youths have proved to be law abiding Nigerians hence, they approached the Nigerian Senate to adjudge the issue of marginalisation of the Isoko ethnic nationality in the pipeline surveillance entanglement.
According to the conveners, “In a recent meeting with the department of state services, we were commended for employing lawful channels to address our grievances. We remain resolute on peaceful approaches to driving home our points, hence, statements by some self-acclaimed ex-militants on palpable violence in Isoko nation came to us as a rude shock.”
“We are on this note calling on the Federal government to disregard every action and cries of these unscrupulous elements who are bent on creating a false air of confusion where there is none. Isoko nation remains a peaceful place. Our only position is for our ethnic nationality to be accorded the respect it deserves.
“We also wish to state that from all our surveys, the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPCL and its subsidiary, the National Petroleum Development Company, NPDC has not perfected any plan to set Urhobo and Isoko lands on fire by pitching the people against each other in “an orchestra of deceit” using pipelines surveillance contract award as a smokescreen to burn that axis of the Niger Delta region as claimed by these elements.
“What we observed is that they only worked within the ambit of the information made available to them at the time of their decisions. The leadership of these government agencies has shown good promise to resolve the issues raised by Isoko youths and we are in turn keen on working with them for the peace and development of our region.” the statement read.
