UNDC urges Tinubu to break pipeline surveillance monopoly,

…Warns Nigeria risks economic sabotage if system remains opaque

From Idu Jude, Abuja

The United Niger Delta Congress (UNDC) has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to end the monopoly in pipeline surveillance in the Niger Delta, stressing that decentralising contracts would promote fairness, transparency and stability across the region.

Speaking at a press conference in Abuja, the UNDC described itself as a pan-Niger Delta organisation dedicated to justice, inclusion, and sustainable development among the oil-producing ethnic nationalities.

Convener Fejiro Oliver emphasised that the group’s mission is to safeguard the collective interests of Niger Delta communities while ensuring equitable sharing of the region’s resources.

“Our mission is to protect the collective interests of the Niger Delta ethnic nations and ensure that the benefits derived from its natural resources are shared fairly and transparently,” he said.

Oliver warned that peace in the Niger Delta cannot be built on exclusion.

“We firmly believe that justice is the foundation of peace, and exclusion is the seed of instability. Peace in the Niger Delta cannot be built on exclusion,” he said.

He recalled the sacrifices of historic Niger Delta patriots: “Nearly sixty years ago, Isaac Adaka Boro demanded justice for oil-producing communities whose resources sustain Nigeria’s economy. For his courage, he paid the ultimate price. Years later, Ken Saro-Wiwa led a peaceful struggle for environmental and economic justice for the Ogoni people. His reward was execution in 1995. These patriots did not fight for monopolies; they fought for justice, fairness, and collective prosperity. What we are witnessing today betrays that legacy.”

National President Julius Malam-Obi questioned the effectiveness of current surveillance contracts despite trillions of naira spent by the Federal Government.

“For years, the Federal Government has spent enormous funds on pipeline surveillance to protect Nigeria’s crude oil infrastructure. Yet oil production remains stagnant at 1.4–1.5 million barrels per day, far below the nation’s potential of over 2 million barrels per day. Where is all the money going?” he asked.

Malam-Obi also flagged the ethnic imbalance in current surveillance arrangements.

“The Niger Delta is home to numerous oil-producing ethnic groups—Isoko, Ijaw, Urhobo, Itsekiri, Ndokwa, Ogoni, Ibibio, Efik, among others. Yet current contracts are concentrated in the hands of a few, creating resentment, division, and undermining unity,” he said.

Citing Section 257 of the Petroleum Industry Act, he stressed that host communities must play a central role in protecting pipelines.

“The Petroleum Industry Act clearly recognises host communities as stakeholders in safeguarding petroleum infrastructure. Decentralising surveillance contracts will strengthen community ownership, improve intelligence gathering, create jobs, reduce inter-ethnic tension, and protect Nigeria’s oil revenue. Peace built on monopoly is fragile,” he said.

The UNDC therefore urged the government to restructure pipeline surveillance contracts to ensure inclusion of all oil-bearing ethnic nationalities and host communities across the Niger Delta.