Bayelsa: Diri Calls For A Review Of Surveillance Contracts

In a renewed bid to stop outsourcing of surveillance contracts to private individuals, the Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri has called on the Federal Government to as a matter of urgency review all oil surveillance contracts in the state.
Senator Diri made the call during a courtesy call by the House of Representatives Committee on the Nigerian Navy in Government House. Yenagoa.
Represented by the Deputy Governor, Senator Lawrence Ehwrudjakpo, he said the activities of surveillance contractors have encouraged crime and criminality in the state.
According to him the Nigerian Navy and the Operation Delta Force (OPDS), Joint Task Force are well equipped to handle surveillance of pipelines in Bayelsa State and in the Niger Delta region.
He said “We want the federal government including the Senate and House of Representatives to look into this surveillance contracts. As long as we are concerned, these surveillance contractors are encouraging crime and criminality. The Navy is well positioned to do that surveillance. I believe it will be good if we encourage the Navy and the Joint Task Force.
What has happened is that over the years instead of protection, the surveillance contractors have problem among themselves, one group goes ahead to blow up a pipeline and blames the other group. This is to make them look inefficient and the contract will be given to the other group.
It is the Navy that is actually doing the surveillance. It will be an opportunity for us to review that so that the state government will have a major role to play in the surveillance of the pipelines.