The Niger Delta Coastline Vanguard, NDCV, has called on the Federal Government to consider a decentralization of the new surveillance project to accommodate leaders of ex-militants in each state of the region for effective and efficient results.
The Group stated that there are plans by the Federal Government to re-award the pipeline surveillance contracts to some Ex-militant leaders in the Niger Delta region to carry out security monitoring of pipeline vandals, urging President Bola Tinubu to make sure that every ex- militants from the region benefits.
The Niger Delta Coastline Vanguard is a group of ex-militants who, under the Presidential Amnesty Program submitted weapons, and were granted pardoned in 2017 with a promise to be properly integrated into the Federal Government Amnesty program with all accrued benefits.
The Group established the Forest Camp in Ilaje and Ese-Odo Local government Areas of Ondo State, in which the Ilaje covers the entire 120kms coastline and 80% of the water ways in the State.
The Group in a statement by its President, General Job Omotuwa, said it is licensed to operate under a registered company called Steve Latcon Security Services (SLSS) and Niger Delta Coastaline Vanguard (NDCV) which has an impressive record of water way security within and outside the State over a long period of time.
It stated that it is on record that on 14th November, 2021 at Abereke, a riverine community in ilaje Local Government, about Eight persons were arrested in four boats loaded with drums of Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) popularly called diesel, this arrest was carried out by our security service, the NDCV Patrol Team lead by me General Omotuwa in conjunction with the Anti-Vandal Unit of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps, NSCDC, Ondo State Command.
It added that in an earlier effort on 28th October, the same year, a vessel was equally arrested by the NDVC team when the suspects engaged in illegal dealings in petroleum products business on the high sea.
This is a feat many ex-militant leaders from Ondo state who have benefitted immensely from the Federal Government Amnesty Program have never recorded or achieved.
It added that NDCV remains the only disciplined, dedicated and law-abiding team that is committed to discharge its duties in collaboration and synergy with the federal government security agencies.
Moreover, the economic importance and advantages of decentralization as here canvased is to yield increased daily oil production output to meet the OPEC target of 2.2million barrels per day which has recently reduced to a ridiculous 1.6million barrels/day because of illegal oil bunkering activities by saboteurs. It will also create job opportunities, enhance the nation’s foreign exchange, encourage internally generated revenue and make act of sabotage that cause oil spill to be more risky and less rewarding for criminals who sabotage government economic policies by busting pipes in the region.
“As a critical stakeholder in the security service of the deltaic belt of Nigeria, we are therefore using this medium to send a strong appeal to Mr. President, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu (GCFR), President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces to consider Niger Delta Coastline Vanguard(NDCV) in the ongoing decentralization plan of the pipeline surveillance contract to handle the entire corridor of the South West littoral States (Ondo, Ogun, Lagos) in the project for equity, fairness and peace in the region.
“Also, for the Presidential Amnesty Commission to give full integration of this body into its plans, policies and program.
“It should be noted that Ilaje is the only local government that has oil wells and oil flow stations in the state that qualifies Ondo state as the No 5 among the 9 oil producing states in the Niger Delta region.
“Ilaje LG shares coastline border with Delta State from the Eastern flank and Ogun State from the Western flank.
It has more than 15 oil companies operating in both onshore and off-shore with daily output of over 80,000 barrels per day.
“The IOCs include but not limited to Chevron Nig. Ltd(CNL), Atlas Petroleum International, Conoil Nig ltd, Agip oil Services, Express oil Company, Conoco oil Services. The following oil fields are currently in active operations in Ilaje local government: Ewan oil field, Ororo oil field, Meren oil field, Opuakaba oil field, Malu oil field, Express oil field and Boga oil field is shared between Delta and Ondo State”.
The NDCV in the statement added that it has been actively engaged in rescue operations of kidnapped victims, the recent one being the one that involved four Chinese nationals in ilaje local government on 20th December, 2017.
That NDCV has been involved in so many ways to arrest and hand over to security agents for prosecution, criminals that are involve in pipeline vandalization and oil bunkering.
It is however appealing to President Tinubu to consider the followings for peace to reign in the region: Decentralization of the pipeline surveillance contract to accommodate NDCV to cover Ondo, Ogun and Lagos State littoral corridor.
It stressed that the NDCV has the capacity, the required intelligence and human resources to collaborate with the federal government in the surveillance of pipeline and anti-bunkering activities in the area.
It added that the NDCV is familiar with the terrain for effective and efficient output, urging the government or agent of government not to impose someone from another region who does not belong to the ethnic nationality on us to sustain the existing peace in the region.
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