An advocacy group, the Niger Delta Advocate for Good Governance, Anti-Corruption and Transparency Group (NDATG), has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene in what it described as the marginalisation of key stakeholders from the Isoko ethnic nationality in the pipeline surveillance arrangement managed by Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the group’s National President and Coordinator, Momoh Ebiowei Erickson, said the appeal became necessary following growing concerns over the alleged exclusion of original stakeholders who advocated for the surveillance contract covering Isoko land.
According to the group, since the engagement of Tantita in 2022 to curb oil theft, pipeline vandalism and other forms of economic sabotage in the Niger Delta, stakeholders from the Isoko area have been seeking greater involvement in surveillance operations within their communities.
The statement noted that representatives of the Isoko ethnic nationality led by Karo Edor had actively pursued inclusion in the surveillance framework for their territory and reportedly held several meetings with officials of NNPC Limited in Abuja.
The group said petitions were also reportedly submitted to the Senate Committee on Public Petitions, with meetings said to have taken place at Frayza Suites and Transcorp Hilton Abuja.
Those said to have participated in some of the engagements include Mele Kyari, former Managing Director of the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company, Ali Zara; Vice Chairman of Tantita and Managing Director of Maton Engineering Nigeria Limited, Matthew Tonlagha; and Dennis Otuaro, who reportedly served as a personal assistant to Tonlagha at the time.
The organisation said it was informed that an understanding was reached during the engagements that Edor and his team would coordinate the pipeline surveillance operations covering the Isoko segment.
However, it alleged that the arrangement was later implemented differently, with other individuals reportedly appointed to coordinate the surveillance structure in Isoko land instead of the stakeholders who initially advocated for the project.
The group warned that the development had generated concerns among stakeholders and could create tension if not addressed transparently.
It noted that the Niger Delta remains economically sensitive and historically fragile, stressing that perceived marginalisation of host communities in oil pipeline security arrangements could undermine peace and cooperation in the region.
The organisation also said similar concerns had reportedly emerged in other parts of the Niger Delta, including Itsekiri communities, the Kalabari Kingdom, Okrika Okochiri Kingdom, and parts of Bayelsa State and Ondo State.
It referenced notable regional figures such as Mujahid Asari-Dokubo, Ateke Tom and Ebikabowei Victor Ben, a former leader associated with the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta.
The group emphasised that its position was not intended as a threat but a caution based on the historical realities of the region, where unresolved grievances have previously escalated into unrest.
Citing Section 257 of the Petroleum Industry Act, the organisation said host communities play a crucial role in protecting oil and gas infrastructure in their territories and should therefore be included in surveillance arrangements.
It urged President Tinubu to convene a presidential roundtable involving traditional rulers, representatives of ethnic nationalities in the Niger Delta, leaders of the Host Communities of Nigeria Producing Oil and Gas, officials of Tantita, and relevant federal agencies.
According to the group, such dialogue would help review the pipeline surveillance coordination framework and ensure transparency, fairness and compliance with the Petroleum Industry Act.
The organisation said the call formed part of resolutions reached during its emergency annual stakeholders’ meeting held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, where members reviewed anti-corruption indices and governance concerns for 2025.
