Ogoni Youths Threaten To Shutdown Pipeline Over Contract Award

Youth leaders of oil and gas host communities in Ogoniland in Rivers State have threatened to shut down the Trans Niger Pipeline (TNS) following the decision of the federal government to award the pipeline surveillance contract to a non-Ogoni indigenous contractor.

Speaking during a protest at the gate of Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited in Port Harcourt, leader of Ogoni Host Communities, Teddy Green issued a 14 day ultimatum for the federal government to give the surveillance contract to an Ogoni indigenous contracting firm.

Green stated that Ogoni youths would shut  down the Trans Niger Pipeline after the expiration of the ultimatum.

Also speaking, Niger Delta youth activist, Dowell Badom, took a swipe at the federal government for the exclusion of Ogoni indigenous contractors in the award of the surveillance job

Badom said it was sad that despite the huge number of oil wells, manifolds and pipelines in Ogoniland, the federal government snubbed them and gave out the surveillance contract job.

He said: “It is imperative that the National Security Adviser, NNPCL and Shell allocates Igoni section of the national surveillance contract to an ogoni indigenous contractors.”