Beyond rhetoric, the Coalition of Benin Socio-Cultural Organization has called on President Bola Tinubu to urgently decentralize Pipeline Surveillance and waterways Security in Oil and Gas Producing States of the federal government to promote fair distribution of wealth and economic growth in Nigeria.
The group advance their reasons at a Media briefing on Wednesday in Benin City, Edo State Capital where it lamented that despite having the largest gas deposits in South South region, Edo State was excluded from Pipeline Surveillance Contracts, Amnesty programme and other opportunities, calling on the President to immediately rectify the imbalance.
Coordinator-General of the group, Osazee Amas-Edobor and the Secretary, Influence Enobun, maintained that the continuous deprivation of the Benin people and Edo youths from direct participation, ownership stakes and other Amnesty programme by the federal government,
is an insult to the State.
“We urged the federal government to decentralize Pipeline contracts to promote fair distribution of wealth and opportunities.
“We highlight the case of Benins/Edo which has the largest gas deposit in the region but remains underrepresented in pipeline contracts, Amnesty programme and job opportunities.
“We demand an explanation for the marginalization of Benin/Edo and call for immediate action to address this imbalance. The deprivation of the Benins at different levels is sickening”, according to the group.
The group also demanded the inclusion of the Benins and Edo State in all Amnesty and post Amnesty-programmes with a quota that reflects its contribution to national production, in addition to full inclusion of indigent citizens of an Oil and gas producing States to partake in pipeline and waterways contracts rather than non-indigenes and settlers using the contracts as a cash cow, immediate review and rectification of allocations and ownership of oil wells taken from Edo and hosts of other accruable benefits.
The non-partisan group further warned certain selfish individuals and groups claiming to represent Edo State to monopolize the benefits of pipeline contracts at the detriment of the Benins and Edo youths to desist for the interest of peace and equitable distribution of resources and opportunities.
Hmm wow