Niger Delta youths, under the aegis of Pan-Niger Delta Youth Forum, have denounced the ‘Peace, Unity and Solidarity Walk’ held in Abuja to demonstrate support for the pipeline protection contract being executed by Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited.
The Pan-Niger Delta Youth Forum, comprising youths of Ijaw, Itsekiri, Urhobo, Isoko, Ogoni and other ethnic nationalities, described the solidarity walk as an unrepresentative event driven by narrow personal interests rather than the collective will of the region.
The youths, in a statement signed by Comrade Samson Edafe on Tuesday, stated that the position articulated by Ijaw Youth Congress, IYC, leader, Jonathan Lokpobiri, during the walk does not speak for the wider Ijaw nation or the people of the Niger Delta.
“We view Jonathan Lokpobiri as a failed President of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) who has completely abandoned the vision and ideals of this once-prestigious group.
“We recall with nostalgia when the IYC, under the leadership of Asari Dokubo and other notable past presidents, served as a credible and formidable platform for advancing the progress, development, and collective interests of the Ijaw nation and the broader Niger Delta region.
“Today, under the watch of Jonathan Lokpobiri, the IYC has regrettably been reduced to a willing tool for advancing the self-serving interests of Lokpobiri and his cronies. It has become nothing more than a personal enterprise for escaping poverty and lack.
“To forestall further embarrassment to the Ijaw Nation, we demand the immediate resignation of Jonathan Lokpobiri as President of the IYC,” the statement said.
The Pan-Niger Delta Youth Forum insisted that all the individuals who spoke during the solidarity walk essentially spoke for themselves and their immediate circle, adding that their claims lack endorsement from broader Niger Delta leadership, their immediate community, or even members of their families, many of whom view their position as a sell-out motivated by personal gain.
The forum expressed concern over the ongoing push to renew the pipeline surveillance contract awarded to Tantita Security Services without proper scrutiny.
The statement added, “Despite the substantial financial commitments made to the company, available statistics indicate that oil revenue generation has declined during the period of this arrangement.
“Incidents of bunkering and illegal refining have continued in various parts of the region, with reports of intercepted vessels and persistent illegal activities highlighting gaps in the current setup.”
The youths noted that concentrating such a critical national responsibility in a single entity has created a monopoly that excludes many host communities and ethnic nationalities whose lands produce the oil, leading to feelings of marginalisation and undermining broader regional stability.
“Mr. Lokpobiri and his allies are pushing for renewal while the mandate remains unfulfilled in many areas. This does not reflect the true situation on the ground where challenges persist.
“The Ijaw nation and other groups in the Niger Delta deserve better than this narrow endorsement that appears driven by personal pockets rather than regional development,” the Pan-Niger Delta Youth Forum said, stressing that while everyone is entitled to express support for particular arrangements, such endorsements must not override the need for accountability.
The forum pointed out that the Petroleum Industry Act underscores the central role of host communities in protecting oil and gas infrastructure, a principle which it said had been sidelined under the existing monopoly.
“True progress in securing the nation’s pipelines requires more inclusive and competitive approaches rather than the continuation of a system that has yet to fully deliver on its mandate,” the statement added.
The Pan-Niger Delta Youth Forum called on the Federal Government, the National Assembly and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited to conduct an independent forensic audit of the pipeline surveillance contract to evaluate its performance, utilisation of funds and overall impact on oil theft.
The forum also demanded the decentralisation of surveillance responsibilities to competent local operators drawn from different ethnic nationalities and host communities.
It argued that such a step would foster greater participation, improve local intelligence gathering, introduce healthy competition and ensure more equitable benefits in line with the spirit of the Petroleum Industry Act.
