Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — The people of Orashi region in Rivers State have urged the federal government to grant licenses to build and operate modular refineries, as well as award pipeline surveillance contracts, to indigenes of the area.
Orashi region is made up of Ahoada East, Ahoada West, Abua/Odual and Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Areas of Rivers State.
President of Orashi National Congress, Emeni Ibe, said their demands if granted, would help address the issues of unemployment and price hikes of petroleum products.
Ibe made the call during a one-day Public Peace Awareness Campaign, with the theme: Let’s Maintain Industrial Harmony, Peace and Security.
He said, “We want our people to be discouraged from illegal oil bunkering and pipeline vandalism.
“We call on the federal government to grant our people licenses to operate modular refineries and also, the federal government should engage our people in the Orashi region with pipeline surveillance contracts, because we will not allow people from other region to come and secure oil and gas pipelines in Orashi region while we have men and women that are capable of doing the job.”
On his part, the Rivers State Commandant of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Basil Igwebueze advised the people of Orashi region to be law-abiding and protect critical national infrastructure.
Igwebueze represented by the Divisional Civil Defence Officer for Ahoada East, Maharazu Ibrahim, particularly urged traditional rulers to be part of the solution to insecurity in Orashi region.
