Ondo Monarchs Urge Tinubu to Decentralize Oil Pipeline Surveillance

Traditional rulers from the Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State have voiced a critical concern regarding the security of oil and gas facilities, appealing directly to President Bola Tinubu for a fundamental shift in surveillance strategy. Their plea centers on the decentralization of pipeline monitoring, a move they believe is essential for effective protection against vandals and criminal elements plaguing the region.

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As custodians of peace within Ondo State, particularly Ilaje Local Government Area, we consider it imperative to draw Your Excellency’s urgent attention to the structural imbalance in the current pipeline and oil and gas facilities surveillance framework.

In a letter addressed to the President, the monarchs, under the umbrella of the Ilaje Local Government Council of Obas, articulated that the current centralized surveillance framework is not only inadequate but also actively hinders local engagement. This lack of local buy-in, they contend, creates vulnerabilities that criminals exploit, thereby jeopardizing both community harmony and national assets. The traditional rulers emphasized that empowering residents of coastal communities is key to safeguarding these vital economic infrastructures.

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While we acknowledge the Federal Government’s efforts to secure vital oil infrastructure, the current arrangement remains over-centralised and insufficiently inclusive, particularly with respect to Ondo State.

The monarchs highlighted several shortcomings of the existing system, including insufficient local stakeholder involvement, a diminished sense of community ownership, and limited youth engagement, with fewer than 100 youths currently participating. Furthermore, they raised grave concerns about "unfamiliar actors" infiltrating waterways under the guise of surveillance operations, with credible links to illegal bunkering and maritime crime. This situation, they warned, directly undermines the program's intended objectives. They are advocating for a state-based coordination structure to enhance transparency, oversight, and operational effectiveness, ensuring that credible indigenous stakeholders lead the efforts in Ondo State and the broader Niger Delta region.

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This has resulted in the marginalisation of local stakeholders, weakened community ownership, very limited youth engagement—with fewer than 100 youths currently involved—and persistent complaints of unpaid salaries, which undermine morale and operational effectiveness.