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Yengoa — Suspected militants may have renewed hostilities against oil companies operating in the Niger Delta.
For example, a
group yesterday claimed it was behind the attack on an oil pipeline at
Koluama community in the Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of the
state.
The Friday explosion reportedly damaged the pipeline belonging to Conoil.
The group, Koluama
Seven Brothers, in statement by one Angel Michael, described the attack
as a warning, saying: "Our early morning hours' strike of 12:20 a.m.,
January 4, 2018, at Angel II field of Conoil is just a warning to
Conoil, King Solomon, and his cartel. If Conoil and King Solomon fail to
address the issues behind the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU),
scholarships, job creation for peace and love of the Koluama clan, then
we (will have) no other option (but) launch a strike to shut down
Conoil."
A youth leader in
the community, Henry Omietimi, confirmed the explosion, saying his
deputy, a member of a security outfit in the area, briefed him on the
incident.
He, however, said
he was still investigating the development with a view to ascertaining
if it was indeed an attack or the aftermath of a burst pipeline.
Some residents of
the area feared the explosion signaled the resumption of hostilities by
militants. They claimed the loud noise was consistent with previous
attacks on oil facilities.
Also, a source at
the oil firm, who pleaded anonymity, said the incident has unsettled the
minds of workers, leaving many unsure what could happen next.
The spokesman of
the Bayelsa command of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps
(NSCDC), Mr. J. N. Harcourt, said he was yet to receive full details
from the officer in charge of Koluama due to poor network signals.
Secretary General of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Alfred Kemepado, however, condemned the attack.
He said the
destruction of oil facilities worsen environmental conditions for people
of the area, urging the group to shun violence in its agitation for a
better Niger Delta.
He nevertheless
said he was of the "opinion that the Federal Government and her allies
should be held responsible for the unending reactions from the region.
I had expected
sincere attention to be given to people of the region by the President
Buhari administration. Instead, even the Niger Delta Development
Commission (NDDC) that used to work a bit has been totally politicised
under this administration."
He said further:
"The Federal Government and multinational companies operating within the
region must come up with sustainable policies to deliberately employ
more of our indigenous people at all levels of employment and also
qualify them for such jobs."
Source: The Guardian
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