“Tinubu, Decentralize Pipeline Surveillance Now Or Risk Another Niger Delta War — Dr. Alaye Warns”
By Passman Akpos
Dr. Alaye Theophilus has warned that the continued centralisation of the pipeline surveillance contract in the Niger Delta could trigger fresh tensions in the oil-producing region, urging President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Federal Government to urgently decentralise the arrangement.
Dr. Alaye, speaking on the controversy surrounding the management of pipeline surveillance operations, said the issue should not be allowed to escalate into another crisis, stressing that Niger Delta youths and host communities would bear the greatest consequences if conflict breaks out.
“If this still gets to the next level, believe you me, there will be war in the Niger Delta. 2.1 million Naira in one family, trying to now make every other person sleep. No! My interest is to see how there will be peace in the Niger Delta,” he said.
According to him, the region has a long history of agitation and conflict and contains several leaders and stakeholders who have experienced previous struggles in the Niger Delta.
“Among war, leaders that have been battle-tested. And so many persons are believing that this is a joke,” Dr. Alaye stated.
‘Why Keep The Contract Centralised?’
Dr. Alaye questioned why the pipeline surveillance arrangement should remain concentrated in a centralised structure when, according to him, prominent Niger Delta figures have called for its decentralisation.
He specifically referenced figures including Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, Alhaji Asari Dokubo, Ateke Tom and Boyloaf, among others, saying their reported positions on decentralisation should not be ignored.
“How can you tell me that Boyloaf is telling you that the pipeline surveillance contract should be decentralized? If Shoot Aside is telling you that the pipeline surveillance contract should be decentralized? If Ateke is telling you that the pipeline surveillance contract should be decentralized? If Asare is saying same thing? That is going to be some form of problem and you are telling me that Ateke it is not?” he queried.
He warned that any renewed crisis would disproportionately affect young people and ordinary residents of the region.
“If there is crisis in the Niger Delta, it is we the youths that will suffer it,” he said.
‘Whose Competence?’
The Niger Delta stakeholder also questioned claims that the existing arrangement was based on competence, demanding greater clarity on how such competence was assessed.
“That is why when people keep on saying that it is because of competence, you begin to wonder, whose competence? Where was that test carried out? Why these calls were made?” he asked.
Dr. Alaye further recalled the political circumstances surrounding the emergence of the pipeline surveillance arrangement under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
He alleged that the strained relationship between Buhari and Tompolo influenced the initial configuration of the surveillance arrangement, claiming that other prominent Niger Delta figures were approached before efforts were allegedly made to reconcile Tompolo with the former President.
“But Shoot Aside and Boyloaf, in their magnanimity, tried to see how Tompolo and Buhari can reconcile and make peace. Directed them to contact Tompolo, direct, so that when that job is given to him, they can have peace with Buhari and all his sins can be forgiven. All the alleged offenses that he has committed can be forgiven,” he said.
‘The Original Understanding Was Decentralisation’
Dr. Alaye maintained that the original understanding, as he described it, was for pipeline surveillance responsibilities to be decentralised across the Niger Delta states rather than concentrated under one structure.
“And that is how this job came. And when this job came, clear statements, declarations were made that this job are going to be decentralized according to states, to leaders, not to be made coordinators,” he stated.
He argued that giving different state-level stakeholders and legitimate host communities a greater role could improve accountability and local ownership of oil infrastructure protection.
According to him, communities living around oil facilities possess valuable knowledge of the terrain and are better positioned to identify emerging threats and respond to security challenges.
Warning Against Another Niger Delta Crisis
Dr. Alaye accused unnamed individuals of allegedly placing personal interests above the broader peace and stability of the Niger Delta.
“Conflict is a virtue and majority of our youth wants that. They want to live like commissioners. They want to live like governors at the expense of other people,” he said.
He also alleged that some individuals were moving between offices seeking financial support while simultaneously backing arrangements that could, in his assessment, increase tensions among competing stakeholders.
“And that is why you see, without going anywhere, they will go to Mr. A office, give us also money, we are going to support you,” he alleged.
Calls For Tinubu To Act
Against the backdrop of the controversy, Dr. Alaye appealed directly to President Tinubu and the Presidency to review the current structure of pipeline surveillance and consider decentralising it across the Niger Delta states.
He argued that decentralisation should not be interpreted merely as a political concession, but as a strategy that could improve security, accountability and crude oil production.
He advocated for a transparent, state-by-state and community-inclusive framework under which legitimate stakeholders would have clearly defined responsibilities for protecting oil infrastructure within their respective territories.
According to him, such an arrangement could create stronger community ownership, improve intelligence gathering and reduce disputes over the control of surveillance operations.
Dr. Alaye further argued that improved protection of oil facilities could help Nigeria increase crude oil production and pursue an output target beyond 2.5 million barrels per day.
“For the wrong thing you are doing that you know that has what it takes to put the entire Niger Delta into another battlefield. If this thing get to the next level, believe you me, there will be war in the Niger Delta. That means oil facilities are going to suffer,” he warned.
He therefore urged President Tinubu to intervene before disagreements over the pipeline surveillance arrangement escalate, insisting that peace, protection of critical oil infrastructure, accountability and increased crude oil production should remain the overriding priorities.
The concerns raised by Dr. Alaye come amid continuing debates among Niger Delta stakeholders over the structure, beneficiaries and effectiveness of pipeline surveillance operations, with competing interests calling for greater inclusion and a more transparent framework.
