Prince David Odeli, one Niger Delta development advocate, don rubbish di controversy wey surround di pipeline surveillance contracts wey NNPCL award, saying people of di oil and gas-rich region remain spectators, with over 70% of mega contracts for di oil and gas industry owned and executed by foreigners and Nigerians from outside Niger Delta.
Odeli wonder why some individuals choose to turn di pipeline surveillance contract into subject of public bickering, unguided utterances and campaigns wey fit cause disaffection among brothers, when na di only contract wey dem deliberately cede to indigenous Niger Delta firms with local capacity and community access.
E talk say there are far more robust, multi-billion dollar contracts for di Niger Delta value chain wey dem never even scratch – offshore drilling, wellhead maintenance, crude lifting, marine security, helicopter services, dredging, waste management. If we aggregate our interests as one people with mutual respect for each other, we can demand local content inclusion for these bigger spaces, instead of fighting over crumbs.
Yes, na indisputable fact say di resources belong to us. But ownership without organization, without mutual respect, and without protection for indigenous businesses, go leave us with nothing but noise.
Disagreement dey allowed. Criticism dey allowed. Wetin no dey allowed na to threat, blackmail or attempt to incite di region against businesses wey dey provide employment for our youths and relative peace for our pipelines.
Di Federal Government, di Office of the National Security Adviser, di NNPCL, and Niger Delta leaders must draw a line: di era of one man constituting himself into a court over who gets what for Niger Delta must end. Private businesses must be protected from personal vendetta. Make we focus on di bigger picture: How we go get more Niger Deltans into upstream, midstream and downstream sectors? How we go build Niger Delta-owned marine, aviation and fabrication giants? How we go ensure say Itsekiri, Ijaw, Urhobo, Isoko, Ogoni, Ibibio, Efik, Ilaje and Ikwerre speak with one voice for economic negotiations?
Di fight should be for more inclusion, not for di destruction of di small inclusion we don achieve, Odeli talk.
Odeli, one renowned social commentator and community leader, talk dis one inside electronic statement wey e make available to newsmen on Wednesday October 7, 2026. E opine say if dem award di same pipeline surveillance contracts to companies from Lagos, Kano or Abuja, Niger Deltans for dey shout marginalization. Now wey indigenous Niger Delta firms dey handle am, firms wey employ our youths, understand our terrain and reduce sabotage, some of us dey pull am down.
E talk say di conduct of ex-militant leader, Asari Dokubo, whose vitriolic attacks on private companies wey dey legitimately operate for di region don go viral, na case in point.
