Don’t Decentralise Pipeline Surveillance Contracts, Itsekiri Youths Tell Tinubu

The Itsekiri Youths for Good Governance (IYGG) has urged President Bola Tinubu to reject mounting pressures for the decentralisation of pipeline surveillance contracts in the Niger Delta region, describing the campaign as a veiled attempt by criminal elements to infiltrate and exploit the nation’s oil infrastructure.

In a statement signed by Mone Oris, chairman, and Metsaghanrun Oki, Secretary, of the Itsekiri Youths for Good Governance, the group characterised the push for regional redistribution of pipeline surveillance contracts as a “dangerous and self-serving” agenda driven not by genuine equity concerns but by vested interests seeking access to pipelines for illegal bunkering and crude oil theft.

The group recalled the turbulent years of Niger Delta militancy, pipeline vandalism, and economic disruption, warning that the relative peace the region currently enjoys was hard-won and must not be sacrificed on the altar of political patronage.

They argued that existing surveillance companies have demonstrated consistent capacity in curbing oil theft, protecting national assets, and maintaining order in volatile environments.

“Decentralisation, as currently being proposed, is nothing but a coded attempt to legitimise disorder and create multiple centres of unregulated control,” the statement declared, adding that pipeline surveillance is a national security matter demanding competence and proven capacity, not a political reward system.

Rather than fragmenting existing arrangements, the group called on President Tinubu to strengthen the current framework by expanding the operational coverage and logistical support available to surveillance contractors already delivering results.

The IYGG also appealed to traditional rulers, youth organisations, and political stakeholders across the Niger Delta to resist what they described as divisive narratives designed to inflame community tensions for selfish ends, stressing that the region’s advancement depends on unity and a collective commitment to lawful economic activity.

“We must not allow a few desperate actors to drag the entire Niger Delta back into an era of violence, destruction, and economic sabotage,” the group warned.