N’Delta: Group Demands Equitable Distribution of Oil, Gas Pipeline Surveillance Contracts Among Stakeholders

The Niger Delta region is witnessing a debate over the equitable distribution of oil and gas pipeline surveillance contracts, with community leaders urging the federal government to prioritize decentralization instead of ethnic considerations. Fejiro Oliver, initiator of the "Guard Your Pipeline I Guard My Own Movement," has called for the Urhobo, Isoko, Ilaje, Opobo, Bakassi, Ibibio, Efik, and Ogoni communities to demand their fair share of the contracts.

These communities, he argues, should be demanding a fair share of the contracts due to their historical role in the oil industry. Oliver maintains that the Eastern corridor, currently overseen by PINL under Osahon Okunbo and the Olu of Warri, an Itsekiri traditional ruler, should continue to serve their respective communities. At a recent media briefing in Abuja, Oliver clarified his position in response to renewed controversy and allegations related to the amounts paid to contractors.

He stresses that the movement, which began in March, gained national attention and prompted the federal government to convene an emergency town hall meeting to discuss the campaign's demands. The central argument of the campaign is that Tantita Security Services and Maton Engineering should not hold control over contracts worth about N2.1 trillion, as it would protect pipelines in communities where other local contractors could perform the job.