|By Chinwendu Nwani
A Niger Delta environmental activist and community development expert, Comrade Alex Ekerebenah, has faulted the ongoing pipeline surveillance contract executed by Tantita, declaring it unsustainable and disconnected from the realities of the region.
Ekerebenah made the assertion on Monday while reacting to recent comments by Comrade Preye Tambou, who cautioned against rising opposition to the possible renewal of Tantita’s pipeline surveillance contract.
He described Tambou’s position as a desperate move driven by selfish interests rather than the collective aspirations of the Niger Delta people, stressing that such advocacy undermines the widespread demand for fairness and inclusion in the management of regional resources.
According to Ekerebenah, no genuinely patriotic Niger Delta indigene would support the renewal of a contract that delivers little or no direct benefit to the majority of the people in the oil-producing region.
He argued that the multi-million-dollar contract has enriched only a handful of individuals while leaving millions of Niger Delta residents trapped in deepening poverty.
Ekerebenah said the era when a few individuals controlled vast resources while the wider population struggled for basic survival had long passed and should not be tolerated under any guise.
The activist further called on President Bola Tinubu to urgently review the pipeline surveillance arrangement, insisting that the contract was riddled with ambiguity and structural oversight from inception.
He criticised the manner in which the contract was awarded, noting that it failed to reflect the yearnings of other oil-producing states and local communities across the Niger Delta, a situation he said contradicts the inclusive democratic ideals of the current administration.
Ekerebenah also dismissed claims that opposition to the contract was driven by ethnic sentiment, insisting that the agitation was rooted in the broader interest of both the Niger Delta and Nigeria.
He maintained that empowering each oil-producing state to manage pipeline surveillance within its territory would promote efficiency, local ownership, and lasting peace in the region.
According to him, engaging local communities directly in pipeline protection would foster a sense of belonging, reduce sabotage, and yield more sustainable security outcomes.
He advocated a liberalised surveillance framework that allows indigenes of oil-producing states to secure pipelines, oil installations, and exploration facilities within their domains.
Ekerebenah concluded that the current centralised approach has failed to deliver expected results, accusing contractors of sidelining local stakeholders and deepening feelings of marginalisation. He stressed that enduring peace in the Niger Delta can only be achieved through inclusive participation and community-driven pipeline surveillance.
