By Mark Lenu
The National Youth Council of Ogoni People (NYCOP) has strongly warned Ogoni youths against threats to stop the oil that is flowing through the Trans Niger Pipeline (TNP).
NYCOP said while it backed the demand for surveillance contracts to be given to Ogoni youths too, it considers the threats to shut down the TNP as a wrong and violent approach to address their grievances.
President of NYCOP, Barr. Theophilus Mbagha made this known in Bori in reaction to threats by some Ogoni youths to shut down the TNP over pipeline surveillance contracts.
Recall that some Ogoni youths, on Wednesday, under the auspices of Youth Leaders of Ogoni Oil Host Communities had threatened to shut down the pipelines, should the NNPC fail to award pipeline surveillance contracts to them within 14 days.
“I want to call on our youths to desist from issuing threats as a means of achieving their goals. If there are issues, we should explore all peaceful means to dialogue and get things resolved. That is the position of NYCOP on this issue.
“While we support the award of pipeline surveillance contracts to Ogoni youths as a means of engaging them meaningfully, we strongly discourage the use of threats and acts of violence as a means to achieve goals,” Mbagha said.
He further assured the youths of his support at all times and urged them to conduct themselves peacefully in their quest to be heard and seek redress with legitimate means.
He also urged Ogoni youths to avoid all violent tendencies and maintain the peace in Ogoni communities.
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