Tompolo, Others to Enjoy Oil Money Till Death As N’Assembly Panel Dismisses Petitions Against Pipeline Surveillance Contracts
The joint committees of the National Assembly on petroleum resources have dismissed petitions calling for the decentralisation of pipeline surveillance contracts across Nigeria’s oil-producing states.
The decision was reached on Wednesday in Abuja during a roundtable on pipeline security, following the adoption of a motion moved by Henry Okojie, chairman of the House Committee on Petroleum Resources (Midstream).
Okojie cautioned that fragmenting pipeline surveillance contracts into multiple arrangements could undermine coordination and accountability.
“We must strengthen what works, not dilute it. Nigeria’s economic security depends on disciplined execution,” he said.
Also speaking, Ikenga Ugochinyere, chairman of the House Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream), said the petitions lacked merit.
“There is no credible evidence to sustain any of the allegations. We invited the petitioners on several occasions, including to this roundtable, but they failed to honour the invitation. Accordingly, all complaints against Tantita are hereby dismissed,” he stated.
Similarly, Agom Jarigbe, chairman of the Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream), emphasised the need for continuity in sustaining progress within the sector.
“Disrupting a system that is already delivering results would be counterproductive. Our responsibility is to ensure stability,” he said.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, represented by the Majority Leader, Julius Ihonvbere, noted that the pipeline surveillance initiative was introduced to address pipeline vandalism, crude oil theft, and unrest in the Niger Delta.
According to Abbas, Nigeria previously lost between 10 and 30 percent of its crude oil output to theft—resulting in billions of dollars in revenue losses and damaging the country’s credibility as an oil producer.
He added that the intervention has led to significant improvements, including the dismantling of illegal tapping points, increased oil revenues, and a rise in production from about 700,000 barrels per day to approximately 1.8 million barrels per day.
The Speaker further noted that the initiative has created employment opportunities for thousands of youths in the Niger Delta, transforming former agitators into active participants in securing oil infrastructure.
He called for enhanced oversight, reforms, and stronger collaboration among government agencies, host communities, security institutions, and private operators to further strengthen the framework.
Despite the panel’s decision, some Niger Delta groups have continued to advocate for the full decentralisation of pipeline surveillance operations.
Among the companies involved in the current framework are Tantita Security Services, Maton Engineering Nigeria Limited, and Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited.
In March, the Coalition of Niger Delta Ethnic Nationalities argued that the existing structure is overly centralised and excludes key stakeholders and host communities in oil-producing states.
The group maintained that its position is not targeted at any specific contractor but aimed at addressing what it described as a “structural imbalance” in the system.