CSC-MAP, a coalition of 45 civil society and community-based organisations spread across Nigeria.
The Civil Society Coalition for Mandate Protection (CSC- MAP) has written to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, United States President, British Prime Minister and the German Chancellor, urging them to prevail on President Bola Tinubu to terminate the N40 billion oil pipeline contract awarded to Mr Government Ekpemuopolo Tompolo.
CSC-MAP, a coalition of 45 civil society and community-based organisations spread across Nigeria.
The letter reads, "Proliferation Of Arms In Nigeria And West Africa: Request For Immediate Intervention By The United Nations Security Council (UNSC), The Governments Of The United States, Britain And Germany On Threat To Regional Security And The Proliferation Of Arms In Nigeria.’
The letter reads, "Being a summary of the protest letter submitted to the Secretary General, United Nations, the President of the United States, the Prime Minister of Britain and the Chancellor of Germany," was signed by the group's General Secretary, Popoola Ajayi, Northern Coordinator, Mallam Buka Nassir, South East Coordinator, Chidi lloegbunam, and Nagbari Williams, South-South.
The coalition expressed optimism that being permanent members of the UN Security Council, they can and should use their positions to influence critical problems that threaten peace and stability anywhere in the world.
The coalition said that as leaders of the most influential countries in the world, and as part of their obligation to protect the world from "arms proliferation and human destruction,” they “should impress on the President of Nigeria to immediately terminate the award of oil pipeline protection contract to any militant”.
It continued, "That your country should influence the Organisation of Petroleum Producing Countries, (OPEC) to isolate Nigeria as the country continues to give such a monumental contract to a man associated with the importation and distribution of illicit arms in Nigeria;
"That your country should impress on the United Nations Security Council should impress on the Nigerian government to stop the award of pipeline contracts to people linked in the past or present to armed insurgency in Nigeria.
"That you should kindly use your influence to impress on the Economic Community of West African States, (ECOWAS) and the African Union, (AU) to be aware of what is going on in Nigeria, the regional bodies should impress on Nigeria to stop the tradition of giving pipeline contracts to ex-militants, armed militants and known terrorists.
"We have already sent a petition to Organisation of Petroleum Producing Countries, (OPEC) to reinforce international standards to ensure pipeline protection is not associated with armed groups and militants in any of the member states.
"OPEC President should as a matter of fact insist that member states must henceforth stop the award of oil contracts to armed groups. That you should kindly impress on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to as a matter of urgency set up a judicial inquiry to probe the proliferation of arms in Niger-Delta.
"That Nigeria must abide by International Treaties and Conventions. Such conventions include but not limited to the following: The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is the international legal instrument for "the conservation of biological diversity, the sustainable use of its components and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources" that has been ratified by 196 nations.
"There is also Convention No. 169 represents a consensus reached by ILO tripartite constituents on the rights of indigenous and tribal peoples within the nation-States where they live and the responsibilities of governments to protect these rights. All these conventions are relevant in the current debate. The award of contracts to elements linked with armed rebellion undermines these international conventions.
"That the International community should ensure that henceforth, no pipeline contract should be given to individuals linked to banditry, kidnapping and violence in the Niger-Delta.”