Ijaw, Ogoni Youths Decry Exclusion From Pipeline Surveillance Public Hearing

The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), National Youth Council of Ogoni People (NYCOP) and other host community stakeholders have lamented their exclusion from the public hearing on pipeline surveillance contracts recently organised by the National Assembly.

The Joint Senate and House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum Resources held a roundtable on pipeline security on Tuesday.

However, the groups staged a peaceful demonstration in Gokana local government area, marching across major communities with placards to express their dissatisfaction and renew calls for the decentralisation of pipeline surveillance contracts.

President of IYC, Dr Theophilus Alaye in a statement issued at the weekend said they were completely excluded despite being primary actors in pipeline protection.

Speaking during the protest, he described their exclusion as unacceptable, stressing that critical stakeholders cannot be sidelined in decisions that directly affect their communities.

He called on the Presidency and the Office of the National Security Adviser to urgently intervene, noting that decentralising pipeline surveillance would empower host communities and significantly improve security outcomes.

Alaye noted that the host communities possess deep knowledge of the terrain, creeks, and local movement patterns, placing them in the best position to detect and prevent pipeline vandalism and crude oil theft.

He maintained that decentralisation would ensure faster response to security breaches, eliminate bureaucratic delays, and strengthen grassroots intelligence gathering across oil-producing areas.

President of the National Youth Council of Ogoni People, Marcus Nwibani, explained that the protest was driven by the need for fairness, inclusion and justice.

He cautioned that excluding host communities from key engagements erodes trust and weakens the fight against crude oil theft, adding that meaningful inclusion is critical to achieving sustainable results.

President of the Ogoni Youths Federation, Emmanuel Bie, decried continued marginalisation of Ogoni people despite decades of oil exploration in the region.

Bie was of the opinion that the inclusion of host communities remained the most effective and sustainable solution to combating crude oil theft and ensuring lasting peace and stability in the Niger Delta.

He noted that Ogoniland hosts over 40 oil wells, yet indigenous participation in pipeline surveillance remains significantly low.

Bie added that involving host communities directly would foster a sense of ownership, reduce sabotage, and enhance accountability, as communities are more likely to protect infrastructure that benefits them.