Bayelsa Governor Urges Reevaluation of Privatized Oil Pipeline Contracts

Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, has warned that private individuals and groups should not be allowed to execute oil pipeline surveillance contracts, independent of the supervision of conventional security agencies in the country

Bayelsa Governor’s Concerns on Oil Pipeline Contracts:

• Governor Douye Diri warns against assigning oil pipeline surveillance contracts to private entities without the supervision of conventional security agencies.
• Urges the Federal Government to reconsider its policy of using non-state actors for maritime security, emphasizing potential future security challenges.
• Calls for the strengthening of the Nigerian Navy to fulfill its constitutional duty in safeguarding the nation’s territorial waters.
• Stresses that protecting critical oil assets should be the exclusive role of the Nigerian Navy, discouraging the use of unconventional security agents.
• Cautions against human rights violations and security breaches by surveillance contractors in local communities, citing reported cases in the state.
• Recommends a review of the Federal Government’s security strategy and a shift towards empowering the Nigerian Navy for effective maritime asset protection.
• Commends the professionalism of Nigerian Navy officers in Bayelsa State, urging Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, to recognize and reward their efficiency.

  

Chief of Naval Staff’s Response:

• Vice Admiral Ogalla acknowledges the strategic importance of Bayelsa State due to its location and critical oil and gas facilities in the Niger Delta.
• Calls on oil-producing communities, especially coastal ones, to view the Navy as a partner and cooperate by providing credible information to combat criminal activities.
• Emphasizes the Navy’s role in creating an enabling environment for oil companies and notes improvements in securing assets over the last six months.

Source: Sweetcrude