It’s Risky To Use Non-State Actors To Protect Oil Assets, Diri Warns Government

Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri has encouraged the federal government to reconsider the use of non-state players in securing the nation’s maritime environment.

To fulfill its constitutional mandate, Diri, who was concerned that the prolonged deployment of such non-conventional security agents would result in further security issues soon, urged for the Nigerian Navy to be strengthened.

He made the call on Monday at Government House in Yenagoa, while Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, the Chief of Naval Staff, paid him a courtesy call.

Represented by his deputy, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, the governor stressed that private individuals and groups should not be allowed to execute oil pipeline surveillance and protection contracts independent of the supervision of conventional security agencies.

The deputy governor’s Senior Special Assistant on Media, Mr. Doubara Atasi, released a statement in which Diri made the point that the Navy is the only agency responsible for protecting the country’s territorial waters and that it needs all the assistance it can get to effectively secure oil and other vital national resources in coastal communities.

He added that “already there had been reported cases of violation of human rights and security breaches by surveillance contractors in local communities around the state.”

He praised the Nigerian Navy’s troops and officers stationed in Bayelsa for acting professionally in the performance of their official duties, which has contributed to the state’s continued status as one of the nation’s most tranquil.

As he urged the navy to maintain the pace, Diri recommended to the Chief of Naval Staff that the officers be officially recognised and awarded for their up-to-date professional efficiency.

“The Bayelsa State Government is crying out that non-state actors are not the best to protect our oil assets,” he declared. Most of them violate the rights of our people in our communities under the guise of contracts protecting oil pipelines.

“Let’s avoid doing actions that the nation will later come to regret. The current actions of the federal government are akin to stabbing someone in the nose to spite their face. Your teeth are rotten, but you don’t need to chop off your head. All you do is search for a toothbrush.

“I will suggest that the Nigerian Navy should be allowed to play that role to protect our critical oil assets. The Federal Government should therefore rejig or reinvent its security strategy to secure these assets.

The Nigerian Navy could not function without Bayelsa State, according to Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, Chief of Naval Staff, in light of the state’s advantageous position and the vital oil and gas resources it is home to in the Niger Delta.

Ogalla urged the state’s government and citizens to maintain their goodwill towards the Navy to receive improved services, calling the governor and his deputy’s recent election victory a great success for the people of Bayelsa.

In particular, the Chief of Naval Staff urged communities that produce oil to view the Navy as a friend and to cooperate in providing reliable information to reduce crime in the state.

He said, “Bayelsa and the Nigerian are partners because Bayelsa is in the core of the Niger Delta. Bayelsa holds a lot of resources in oil and gas, and the protection of these assets is a key role of the Navy. The Navy must create an enabling environment for the oil companies to produce their maximum output, and there has been significant improvement so far in the last six months.

“This is possible with the cooperation of the Bayelsa State Government and the people; the Bayelsa State Government has also provided resources to the Navy. So we have a cordial relationship with the oil-producing communities, and we need more cooperation in intelligence and information to curb criminality around the facilities.”

The Chief of Naval Staff was accompanied on the visit by several top-ranking naval officers, including the Flag Officer Commanding, Central Naval Command, Rear Admiral S.J, Bura, and the Commander of NNS Soroh, Commodore A.O. Ojebode.