By Perez Brisibe

UGHELLI—Isoko chapter of Host Communities of Nigeria, HOSTCOM and ex-militants from the area have threatened showdown with the Federal Government and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, if they fail to address the alleged marginalisation of Isoko people in the pipeline surveillance contracts recently awarded by the Federal Government.

In a statement by  Morrister Idibra, Isoko HOSTCOM Chairman and Julius Omoyibo, for ex-militants in the area, the groups issued a seven-day ultimatum to the Federal Government and the NNPC to address the issue else they would be forced to unleash their grievances against oil installations and oil and gas servicing companies in their areas.

On the need for decentralisation in the award of the pipeline surveillance contracts and jobs to members of the host communities in the Niger Delta, they explained that pipeline surveillance jobs rather than being a tool for settling of political jobbers, the patronage of HOSTCOM and ex-militants for the job must cut across all tribes in the Niger Delta region.