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An ex-militant leader and founder, Divine Bethel Bible Church Worldwide, Abraham Vwaghie, has called on the Federal Government and Chief Government Ekpemupolo, a.k.a Tompolo to negotiate Urhobo slot of the pipeline surveillance contract awarded recently to Chief Ekpemupolo with their foremost leader, Mayor of Urhoboland, Eshanekpe Israel, a.k.a Akpodoro for equity.

The ex-militant leader-turned clergy stated this in Warri, the commercial nerve centre of the oil-rich Delta State, on Monday in a chat with our correspondent, arguing that Mayor Akpodoro has paid his dues in loyalty, foot-soldiering and service delivery to the current administration and should not be sidelined in the distribution of the surveillance contract awarded to selected former ex-militant leaders in the Niger Delta region.

Vwanghie, who is also known as Father 1, argued further that Akpodoro has been in the forefront of entrenching peace in the region long before now, noting that he should not be starved of the Federal government patronage in issues such as security contract award having served the government in different capacities including his notable involvement in the disarmament of recalcitrant ex-militants at the declaration of the Amnesty Programme by the federal government.

“To whom much is given, much is expected,” Father 1 said, maintaining that Akpodoro has given his best in terms of his loyalty to the region nay, the government by standing tall in the face of crisis to foster and entrench peace in the region adding that, Akpodoro was he who stemmed the notorious offensive during the renewed insurgency led by the Niger Delta Avengers, NDA saying his records are there in public domain speaking for him and this, he stated that, the government shouldn’t treat such loyal ex-militant leader in such manner.

According to him, “Denying Akpodoro a slot in the distribution of the surveillance contract is tantamount to undeservedly relegating Urhobo nation to the background in the scheme of things,” stressing that, the people of Urhoboland deserve to be treated better, adding that “Akpodoro remains the best that the people of Urhobo nation can trust with the security of oil and gas bearing pipelines in the within OML 30 and 34.”

He advocated a community based security system where indigenous ex-militant leaders are awarded surveillance contracts within their corridors for effective policing and security and this he said Akpodoro comes handy for Urhobo nation.

The Emmadja Udu-born Phase 2 ex-militant leader and cleric further noted that, the oil pipelines in Urhoboland outnumber that which obtains elsewhere in the Delta region, arguing that, the Otorogun Gas Plant till date remains the largest in Africa, wondering why the indigenous leaders of such areas should be undermined in the award of contracts to secure such national patrimony in their domain.

In same vein, the cleric called on Tompolo to “see the contract as a job for all and be magnanimous in distributing same with those, who were involved in the Niger Delta struggle with him,” maintaining that Akpodoro should be called upon to represent the Urhobo speaking people in the distribution of same saying, the Mayor was one of the first large hearted people who congratulated him after he won the award and he should also extend olive branch to him by engaging the Gbaregolor Ughelli South-born productively in the security contract.

He noted that, Mayor Akpodoro was he who have been stabilising peace in the region as he worked in conjunction with several organisations to whom the contracts were awarded ab initio without any commensurate remuneration but still surged on to ensure the security of oil facilities within Urhoboland for public good.

“The FG,” he noted, “owes it a duty to equitably distribute the security contract among all,” even as he congratulated those to whom the government had considered. He therefore called on the authority to right its wrongs by immediately calling Akpodoro for negotiation and possibly award him a portion of the surveillance contract to balance the equation and assuage ill feelings among those who were not earlier considered, adding that the Mayor of Urhoboland has the capacity and the wherewithal to secure with clinical efficiency any portion of the contract that may be awarded to him.

“Udu land where I come from has 7 functional oil wells, ditto other communities in Urhoboland. How possible is it for this government to award such the security of such facilities to a stranger in lieu of the people who own it?

“With his large follower ship among the youth population in Urhoboland, Akpodoro has all it takes to manage efficiently any portion of the pipeline that the government may award him. We trust him to do his best when considered and this is why this clarion call is necessary and timely. We are too large in number to be undermined by any government therefore, the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration should right its wrongs to assuage some interests.” The visibly livid ex-militant leader stated as he expressed optimism that the Minister of State for Petroleum,  Timipre Sylva, will do things right by conveying the concern of Urhobo nation to the President.