By John Paul
Fresh outrage has trailed the vote of confidence passed by the National Assembly Joint Committee on Niger Delta in favour of Tantita Security Services Limited, with youth groups and regional activists escalating calls for the decentralisation of pipeline surveillance contracts.
The lawmakers had endorsed Tantita after reviewing its operations, citing measurable gains in curbing crude oil theft, illegal bunkering, and pipeline vandalism across the Niger Delta. The committee maintained that the company’s performance justified its continued engagement, pointing to improved security in host communities and increased stability in oil production.
However, the endorsement has sparked a wave of backlash from stakeholders across the region, who argue that the current arrangement is exclusionary and concentrates vast economic power in the hands of a few interests.
Reacting sharply, co-convener of the United Niger Delta Congress, Fejiro Oliver, dismissed the National Assembly’s action as routine and compromised.
“What the National Assembly did is the usual formalities Nigerians know them for—jump into a trending issue, threaten a probe where funds are involved, and later come out publicly to pass a vote of confidence,” he said.
Oliver further alleged that political interests may have influenced the decision, insisting that the issue of pipeline surveillance should not be left to what he described as an “already compromised” legislature. He reiterated the demand for decentralisation, warning that peace in the region depends on equitable participation.
Adding to the growing dissent, the Akwa Ibom Ethnic Nationalities Youth Coalition issued a strongly worded statement aligning with calls for restructuring the surveillance framework.
In the statement signed by its Director of Strategies, Umanah Umanah, the group commended organisations such as the United Niger Delta Congress, Afigh Iwaad Ekid, and other regional stakeholders for their stance on decentralisation.
“We will take cues to engage with our UNDC, other stakeholders in the Niger Delta and traditional institutions to ensure our voices are heard loud and clear,” the statement read.
The coalition outlined a multi-pronged strategy that includes intensive community mobilisation and awareness campaigns, dialogue with government officials and policymakers, peaceful protests and demonstrations where necessary, and the use of media and social platforms to amplify their message.
The group was emphatic in rejecting any attempt to suppress its agitation.
“We won’t be swayed by bribes or intimidated by threats. The N2.1 trillion pipeline surveillance contract must be decentralised. Local communities must benefit from our resources,” Umanah stated, adding that those prioritising personal gain over the welfare of their communities would be resisted.
Similarly, socio-cultural advocacy group Odavwe R’Urhobo, in a statement jointly signed by its National Chairman, Mathias Efe Olowu, and Chairman of its Board of Trustees, Wilson Omene, raised alarm over what it described as the “dangerous monopolisation” of pipeline surveillance contracts.
The group warned that the concentration of such contracts in the hands of a few entities risks entrenching exclusion and fostering resentment among ethnic nationalities, particularly in Urhobo areas that host a significant share of oil infrastructure.
They urged Senate President Godswill Akpabio to ensure that the ongoing National Assembly probe does not become a “smokescreen” for endorsing what they termed an inequitable arrangement.
Among their demands are the immediate review of the current pipeline surveillance structure, dismantling of monopoly control, full decentralisation of contracts across ethnic nationalities, and direct award of contracts to qualified indigenous contractors in host communities.
Despite the mounting criticism, the National Assembly committee has maintained that performance and results remain the primary basis for its decision, urging Tantita to sustain its current momentum.
The unfolding standoff underscores a deepening divide between federal authorities prioritising efficiency and local stakeholders demanding inclusion, equity, and a fair share of the Niger Delta’s oil wealth.