Niger Delta pipeline surveillance contracts face calls for evidence-based review

The Coalition of Civil Society Organisations for Good Governance (CCSOGG) has called for an evidence-based review of pipeline surveillance contracts in the Niger Delta. The group defended Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL) and its Project Director, Osahon Okunbo, against allegations regarding the value and performance of their contracts.

These allegations, circulated by activist Asari Dokubo, claim that Okunbo and the Olu of Warri receive as much as ₦2.7 trillion annually for pipeline protection. The CCSOGG and other observers have noted that no documentary evidence has been provided to substantiate such a figure. The coalition urged relevant authorities to publish official contracts, payment schedules, and performance records to ensure public accountability through facts rather than unsubstantiated claims.

Critics of the current discourse argue that the conversation regarding pipeline security should focus on transparency, cost-effectiveness, and energy security rather than ethnic insinuations or unverified financial figures.