...As Allowing a Single Group To Dominate Pipeline Surveillance Across Several Niger Delta States Could Threaten Peace And National Security - Wariyai Stated 

Chief Pius Wariyai, a respected leader from Ekeremor Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to break what he described as the monopoly over pipeline surveillance contracts in the Niger Delta.

He said the current system has created injustice, political intimidation, and growing unrest in oil-producing communities.

Speaking on the issue, Wariyai criticized the activities linked to Oporoza House in Gbaramatu Kingdom, Delta State. He accused some interests there of trying to control affairs in Bayelsa and influence decisions that should be handled by Bayelsa leaders.

He said there has been continuous pressure on him and other Bayelsa stakeholders to accept outside control. According to him, Delta-based groups should stop trying to dictate how pipeline surveillance is managed in Bayelsa, insisting that every state should have the right to oversee its own affairs.

Wariyai explained that he and his boys were once part of the pipeline surveillance programme. However, he claimed they were removed from the arrangement and denied payment after refusing to support a political candidate allegedly backed by those managing the contracts during a previous Bayelsa governorship election.

According to him, the surveillance programme was originally created to empower ex agitators, host communities and protect vital oil infrastructure. He argued that it was never meant to be used as a tool to force political loyalty or punish people with different opinions.

He alleged that many ex agitators and community leaders who had misunderstanding with the Oporoza  House have suffered serious consequences. These include unpaid entitlements, financial hardship, and exclusion from opportunities that were meant to benefit them.

Wariyai also claimed that some of them who refuse to play along their wicked scheme have been falsely accused before federal authorities, while others were allegedly abducted. He described the situation as a dangerous abuse of power that has left many residents living in fear.

Looking back at the history of the Niger Delta struggle, Wariyai praised former militant leader Ebikabowei Victor-Ben, popularly known as General Boyloaf. He said Boyloaf and other ex-agitators played a major role in the fight for resource control and the rights of oil-producing communities.

He further alleged that after General Boyloaf embraced the government's amnesty programme, the political influence created by his decision was used by a former Bayelsa governor. However, Wariyai claimed that Boyloaf and his loyal supporters were later sidelined when pipeline surveillance contracts were handed to outsiders.

The Bayelsa leader also expressed disappointment that many grassroots supporters who worked for President Tinubu during the 2023 general elections have not benefited from the surveillance programme. Instead, he alleged that people who made little or no contribution now control the most profitable security contracts in the region.

Wariyai warned that allowing a single group to dominate pipeline surveillance across several Niger Delta states could threaten peace and national security. He said such centralized control creates resentment, fuels conflicts, and weakens trust among host communities.

He urged President Tinubu to immediately decentralize pipeline surveillance contracts across the Niger Delta. 

According to Wariyai, giving indigenous leaders, ex-agitators, and state-based stakeholders responsibility for protecting infrastructure in their own areas is the best way to ensure peace, fairness, accountability, and lasting stability.