By George OPARA
The Niger Delta Youth Groups have decried their alleged exclusion from the recently held National Assembly roundtable on the controversy surrounding crude oil theft and pipeline security in the oil-rich region.
Also, the youth groups have carried out a coordinated peaceful protest against the lawmakers’ claim that all stakeholders were consulted and duly participated.
Spear News gathered that the pivotal issue for discussion was premised on the ongoing tension over the management of oil infrastructure and inclusion of host communities in decisions affecting the region.
Protesting at Gokana Local Government area,of Rivers state, the protesters were drawn from Ijaw Youth Council, the National Youth Council of Ogoni People, the Ogoni Host Communities Youth Associations, expressing dissatisfaction
over what they described as exclusion from critical deliberations and, calling for a decentralization of pipeline surveillance.
The President of the Ijaw Youth Council, Alaye Theophilus, who led the protest wondered why the lawmakers’who hail from their region could even deny them the opportunity to make their representations.
In his words “We were not invited to appear before the National Assembly to defend our petition, despite claims by the committees,”
While Theophilus asked the Presidency and the Office of the National Security Adviser to intervene and decentralize the pipeline surveillance contract in the tinderbox-like situation for equity and fairness.
President of the National Youth Council of Ogoni People Marcus Nwibani said the protest was driven by a demand for inclusion and recognition of host communities.
“We are not here for publicity; we are here because the Niger Delta is critical to this country,” he said. “What belongs to the people must be given to the people.”
He added that local participation would enthrone a peaceful co-existence, insisting that Ogoni communities should not be excluded from engagements on oil exploration and pipeline surveillance to ensure accountability.
In retrospection, President of the Ogoni Youths Federation, Emmanuel Bie said oil bearing communities had long been sidelined in decisions affecting their resources.
“Since oil was discovered in Ogoni in 1958, our people have remained spectators in decisions affecting our resources,” he said.
He added that the community hosts more than 40 oil wells yet has not secured surveillance contracts for their protection, underscoring that decentralization of pipeline surveillance would strengthen monitoring and curb crude oil theft.
The youth leaders in corroboration, maintained that involving host communities would promote inclusion, improve security and ensure sustainable peace in the Niger Delta.
But the views of Rivers state traditional rulers contradicted the protesters’.
The monarchs uphold that the existing status quo of the pipeline surveillance structure should remain.
In a recently held expanded press briefing in Port Harcourt, the monarchs urged the Federal government to resist calls for decentralization against the performance of the surveillance contract introduced in 2022 to combat crude oil theft and vandalism.
The raging controversy pointed at the framework being managed by Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited said to have improved security across oil bearing communities.
As at the time of filling this report, some of the lawmakers contacted on phone for their reactions declined comments but the monarchs remain unmoved to the consistent call for a reconsideration.
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