By Tom Moses

EKET—EX-MILITANTS in Akwa Ibom State have protested their exclusion from the recent Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, pipeline and waterways surveillance contract and urged the Federal Government to integrate them or they restart hostilities.

The aggrieved ex-militants and youths brandished placards with various inscriptions such as “Akwa-Ibom is part of the Niger Delta, Give us our Right”, “Give us Surveillance Contract on Oil and Gas Pipelines”, “Oil and Gas Pipeline Goes Through Akwa-Ibom State: Mr. President Give Us Our Right” and  “We Say No To Marginalization, Enough Is Enough.”

In a letter to President Goodluck Jonathan by the chairman, Ex-Militants Forum, Akwa Ibom State Chapter, General Kingsley Bassey, alias 007, they said: “We have been neglected and abandoned by the Federal Government in community engagement programmes of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, over the years.”

“On August 3, 2012, we petitioned the Presidency through the National Security Adviser, advising that the pipeline and water ways surveillance contract be extended to Akwa-Ibom State for reasons not unconnected with justice, equity and youths empowerment, unfortunately, our request did not see the light of the day.”

”Today’s peaceful protest is a prelude to the full-scale demonstration that we intend to embark on if the request of this peaceful protest is ignored.  In as much as we are aware of the prevailing political situation, we have no other option but to agitate and draw attention to the glaring injustice meted out to the youths of Akwa-Ibom State by the NNPC,” they asserted.

The protesting youths, therefore, urged the Presidency to prevail on the NNPC to review the Oil and Gas Pipelines Surveillance Contract to Akwa-Ibom State to forestall avoidable action by them.