Dr. Alaye Tari Theophilus, former President of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), has called on the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, to take the concerns of Niger Delta stakeholders seriously and advise President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on the urgent need to decentralize the pipeline surveillance contract across the region in the interest of peace, national security and increased crude oil production.

Reacting to the NSA’s position on addressing the challenges confronting the Niger Delta, Dr. Theophilus said that while the call for urgent action to resolve the region’s problems was commendable, such efforts would yield little progress if the genuine grievances of the people continued to be ignored and critical stakeholders were excluded from decisions affecting their future.

According to him, the NSA must go beyond making general statements about the need to resolve the Niger Delta crisis and ensure that the President receives a comprehensive and honest assessment of the situation on the ground, including the concerns surrounding the current pipeline surveillance contract structure.

Dr. Theophilus maintained that the growing demand for the decentralization of the pipeline surveillance contract is not a call for confrontation but a practical proposal aimed at strengthening community participation, promoting fairness, improving accountability and consolidating the fragile peace in the Niger Delta.

He warned that sidelining individuals and groups who made meaningful contributions during the Niger Delta struggle, while concentrating responsibilities in the hands of a few individuals, could deepen feelings of exclusion and undermine the collective efforts required to sustain peace in the region.

“The contributions and sacrifices of those who fought for the Niger Delta must not be forgotten or sidelined in decisions concerning regional security and the protection of national assets,” he said.

The former IYC President urged the NSA to avoid favoritism and ensure fairness and inclusiveness in pipeline surveillance decisions, prioritizing national security and the country’s overall interest.

Dr. Theophilus argued that decentralizing the pipeline surveillance contract to competent and credible stakeholders within the individual states of the Niger Delta would allow them to take greater responsibility for securing pipelines and other oil and gas infrastructure within their respective territories.

“The NSA should be championing a structure that brings all credible stakeholders to the table, rather than one that creates the impression that pipeline surveillance is a privilege reserved for a select few. National security must never be reduced to personal interests or political considerations,” he stated.

Dr. Theophilus further called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu not to allow himself to be misinformed or presented with a one-sided picture of the issues affecting the Niger Delta. He urged the President to engage widely, listen to the concerns of stakeholders across the region and ensure that decisions on pipeline surveillance reflect the realities of the communities where the infrastructure is located.

He maintained that the success of the Federal Government’s efforts to increase crude oil production, combat oil theft and secure national revenue depends significantly on the willingness to build trust with the people of the Niger Delta.

According to him, a surveillance arrangement that enjoys broader stakeholder participation and community acceptance is more likely to deliver sustainable results than one perceived by sections of the region as exclusive or unfair.

He also urged the NSA to ensure that the implementation of the new security framework for Nigeria’s oil and gas industry does not become another missed opportunity to address long-standing grievances in the Niger Delta.

While acknowledging the importance of the framework in tackling crude oil theft, illegal refining, pipeline vandalism and other threats to petroleum infrastructure, Dr. Theophilouse stressed that operational reforms must be accompanied by a deliberate effort to address legitimate concerns about representation, fairness and the distribution of responsibilities.

“The message to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is simple: do not allow anyone to convince you that the Niger Delta problem can be sustainably resolved by listening to only a few individuals. The voices, concerns and contributions of credible stakeholders across the region must be heard.

“If the objective is to secure pipelines, increase crude oil production, eliminate oil theft and sustain peace, then the Federal Government must be prepared to decentralize the pipeline surveillance contract and give the individual states a meaningful role in managing security within their territories.

“The National Security Adviser should be advising the President on how to build a more inclusive and effective system, not on how to preserve an arrangement that leaves important stakeholders feeling excluded. We must put the interest of Nigeria above every personal or political consideration,” he declared.

He emphasized that lasting peace in the Niger Delta is vital to Nigeria’s economic stability and national security, urging the Presidency to decentralize the pipeline surveillance contract to promote inclusion, protect oil assets and boost crude oil production.

“If You Want To Solve Nigeria’s Problem, Solve The Niger Delta Problem First. Tinubu Must Act Now: Decentralize The Pipeline Surveillance Contract For Peace, Equity And National Security.” Dr. Alaye Stated.