The Ijaw National Congress (INC) has condemned ongoing public agitations calling for the decentralization of the Tantita Pipeline Surveillance Contract, urging those involved to cease media attacks and embrace internal dialogue.
At a joint press conference held Thursday in Warri, leaders of the INC Central and Western Zones described the agitation, reportedly led by some prominent Ijaw figures as “embarrassing” and damaging to the image of the Ijaw nation.
Speaking to journalists, the INC Central Zone Chairman, Moses Theophilus Kenibara, said the actions of the agitators were ill-timed and counterproductive.
“This approach is condemnable. It is driven by envy and does not reflect the collective interest of the Ijaw people,” he said.
Kenibara noted that the oil and gas sector offers multiple opportunities beyond pipeline surveillance, including crude lifting, pipeline installation, and maintenance.
He urged aggrieved parties to explore these avenues rather than target the Tantita contract.
He also called for a shift in advocacy toward broader issues such as resource control, oil well ownership, and increased employment for qualified Niger Delta indigenes.
Highlighting the impact of the current surveillance arrangement, Kenibara credited Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, with engaging over 20,000 youths in the fight against illegal oil bunkering.
In his remarks, the INC Western Zone Chairman, Preye Nuel Kuete, urged aggrieved stakeholders to channel their concerns through established leadership structures, including the INC, rather than resorting to public criticism.
“Agitations should be conducted in an atmosphere of peace. The fragile stability in the Niger Delta must be preserved,” Kuete said.
He warned that renewed tensions could disrupt development efforts in the region and reiterated the need for constructive engagement.
The INC maintained that unity and dialogue remain critical to sustaining peace in the Niger Delta, cautioning that internal divisions could undermine progress in the region.
