Niger Delta
Group Urges Tinubu To Decentralise Pipeline Surveillance Contracts
A sociocultural group, the Southern Ijaw Unity Forum, has called on the Federal Government not to re-award pipeline surveillance contracts to the current beneficiaries whose contracts have expired, but rather decentralize it across board for all major stakeholders in the Niger Delta struggle.
The group said this is because Nigeria is not making any progress in the fight against oil theft, pipeline vandalism, and illegal refining of petroleum products.
A statement issued to newsmen by the group’s Chairman, Comrade Timothy Amadiowei, said the failure was due to the federal government’s refusal to heed wise counsel from the beginning.
He said the federal government’s failure to take constructive advise from other major stakeholders in the Niger Delta region resulted in oil theft under the guise of surveillance activities which is now brewing crisis in the region and loss of innocent lives in illegal detentions.
The group’s leader also alleged that the activities of the surveillance contractors and the federal government’s non-consultation with other major stakeholders across the region, which has since caused related crises, are acts capable of smearing the image of the Nigerian government at the international level.
The Statement read in parts: “Muhammadu Buhari-led government and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) were made to believe the illusion that one man is king of the Niger Delta and that awarding the pipeline surveillance contract to him would automatically end the war against oil theft.
“This fairytale is what made the Federal Government to neglect the expertise of other renowned freedom fighters in the Niger Delta, and awarded the contract to one man alone to secure pipelines in the territories of other ex-agitators who have paid their dues and worked so hard to ensure peace and political stability in the region but were later pushed aside.
“I want to remind the nation that it is not only the current beneficiaries that worked for the APC government, and it is very unfair that after major stakeholders like Alhaji Asari Dokubo and Endurance Amagbein have worked so hard for the APC government, they are neglected and what should have been shared evenly amongst the ex-militants for equity and fairness was given to one man who has refused to carry people along”.
According to him, the Federal Government is winning the fight against oil theft only on the news, but in reality, the illegal business is thriving daily – with most filling stations selling only adulterated fuel.
He urged President Bola Tinubu, the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPCL, Mr. Bashir Ojulari, and the National Security Adviser, Nihu Ribadu, to take the bold step in correcting the errors made by the past administration, and yield to the demand of the Niger Delta people that the pipeline surveillance contracts be decentralized and shared to all deserving stakeholders.
“I urge the Federal Government not to engage in shadowboxing when help is available. The only solution to oil theft and illegal refining of petroleum products is decentralization, because nobody is happy with the anomalies on ground.
“Every stakeholder is angry with the current arrangement, how can one man from Delta State whose kingdom comprises only 8 communities be awarded a surveillance contract to secure pipelines in the territories of other stakeholders as in the case with Bayelsa State?
“Carry everybody along, and you’ll see the difference, and I can tell you boldly that there are renowned ex-agitators who have the answers the government is seeking, but they are just watching the Federal Government struggle because the government has failed to approach them for help.
“If you think you’ve seen pipeline security, then wait until the likes of Alhaji Asari Dokubo, King Ateke Tom and Endurance Amagbein, who understand the Niger Delta terrain more than anybody else, come into the picture with what they have to offer.
“And so we are joining the host of other Niger Delta stakeholders who have seen that the only way to win this fight is decentralization and bringing everyone onboard.
“Let everybody secure their own domains, because if anybody is doing illegal bunkering in my community, I know them and I know how to deal with them, but a stranger does not know them and so it’s difficult to stop them.
“If you are from Delta State, stay in Delta and secure the pipelines in your area, if you are from Rivers State, stay in Rivers and secure pipelines there, if you are from Bayelsa, stay there and secure pipelines there, likewise the other states producing crude oil and gas.
“This is not the time to re-award all the pipeline surveillance jobs in the entire Niger Delta to one man. This is the time to share it among the major stakeholders so that they can cover the whole area to put an end to oil theft”, the group’s leader added.
Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa
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Nigeria has recorded its strongest-ever outing in global university rankings, with 24 institutions earning places in the 2026 Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings and Sub-Saharan Africa University Rankings.
However, only four universities from the South-South geopolitical zone made the prestigious list.
The South-South institutions that secured places in the rankings are Delta State University, Abraka (12th), University of Benin (22nd), University of Calabar (23rd), and University of Port Harcourt (24th).
The rankings, which represent Nigeria’s highest-ever participation, reinforces the country’s growing influence in higher education across Sub-Saharan Africa, with 24 universities listed, up from 21 in both the 2024 and 2025 editions.
The University of Ibadan retained its position as Nigeria’s highest-ranked institution, followed by the University of Lagos, while Bayero University, Kano, emerged as the third-best performing university in the country.
Of the 24 institutions, 17 are federal universities, four are state-owned, and three are private universities, reflecting broad improvements in teaching, research, and institutional performance across the country’s tertiary education sector.
The rankings also underscore the growing global recognition of Nigeria’s specialised universities of technology and agriculture, while state-owned institutions continue to improve their academic profiles through enhanced research output and governance reforms.
The full list of Nigeria’s universities in the 2026 THE rankings are: University of Ibadan; University of Lagos; Bayero University, Kano; Covenant University; Landmark University; Ahmadu Bello University; Federal University of Technology, Minna; University of Ilorin; University of Jos; University of Nigeria; Babcock University; and Delta State University, Abraka.
Others are: Ekiti State University; Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta; Federal University of Technology, Akure; Federal University of Technology, Owerri; Federal University, Oye-Ekiti; Ladoke Akintola University of Technology; Lagos State University; Nnamdi Azikiwe University; Obafemi Awolowo University; University of Benin; University of Calabar; and University of Port Harcourt.
The rankings highlight both Nigeria’s expanding presence on the global academic stage and the need for greater investment in higher education across regions, particularly in the South-South, where only four universities made the country’s top 24 list.
The Ogu Community in Otubo-Atissa, Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, has stated its commitment to preserving its culture, peace and community development through the celebration of the annual “Uge Adiafa” New Yam Festival, tagged “Ogbolo ’26.”
Held at St. John’s Primary School Field, Ogu, the colourful festival served not only as the traditional commencement of the yam harvest season, but also as a tribute to the community’s illustrious son and founder of the Uge Adiafa Festival, His Majesty, Late King Fedrick Aduku Simangi Ogbotom-Edede IV.
The celebration brought together sons and daughters of the community, traditional rulers, academics, youths and other guests in a display of thanksgiving, cultural performances and renewed communal solidarity.
Addressing the gathering, the traditional head of the community, HRH Bishop Akuegbe Paul, expressed delight at the massive turnout, describing the festival as a symbol of thanksgiving to God, cultural identity and unity among the people.
He noted that beyond celebrating a successful farming season, the festival honours the enduring legacy of the late monarch, whose vision established the Uge Adiafa Festival as a platform for preserving the community’s rich cultural heritage and promoting peaceful coexistence.
Guest of Honour, Professor Nedie Patience Akani, of Rivers State University, Port Harcourt, commended the community for embracing reconciliation and unity.
Professor Akani, who is of the Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, of the university and a daughter of the soil, said, “This is my first time attending this New Yam Festival. I came because of the good things happening in this community.
“Before now, there were quarrels in the community, with court cases here and there, brother fighting against brother. But today, God has united us. It is a wonderful thing to be united because where there is no unity, there can be no progress in the home, family or community.
“I thank the head of Ogu Community, HRH, Bishop Akuege Paul, for making today’s celebration a reality”, she stated.
The event also featured inter-compound cultural competitions, with Yenikabu II Compound emerging overall winner, while Bongata Compound and Abrima Compound finished first d second runners-up respectively.
Also, eleven Compound Chiefs alongside their respective Head Compound Women Chiefs were coronated. The Woman Chief of Ogu Community, HH, Dare Tiebiri and her Deputy, Chief Stella Jordan Mark, were also coronated.
Dignitaries that graced the occasion included the Ebenanawei of Akamabubu Kingdom, Southern Ijaw LGA, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, HRM, King J. Olotu Erepamo; the Paramount Ruler, Ikibiri Community, Yenagoa LGA, Bayelsa State, HRH, Barrister Morris Lagos; and the Ebeni-Isisibo of Atissa Kingdom, HRH, God’swill Arab Simeon.
Other are: the Ebeni-Otubo, Atissa Kingdom, HRH, Sir Anderson J. Olumo, and his wife, Mrs. Tarila Anderson Olumo; the Deputy Head of Ogu Community, HH, Mission Obugu, and wife of the Ebeni-Ibe of Atissa Kingdom, Mrs. Diemeze Victor Awala.
For the people of Ogu, the festival was more than a celebration of the first harvest, it underscored the importance of preserving cultural traditions, strengthening communal bonds, promoting reconciliation and passing cherished values from one generation to another, while also ensuring that the legacy of their forebears continue to inspire future generations.
Sterling Oil Exploration and Energy Production Company Limited (SEEPCO) has partnered the Delta State Government, Vcare for Development Foundation (VCDF) and the Nigerian Red Cross Society to promote voluntary blood donation as part of efforts to strengthen the state’s blood supply and save lives.
The initiative, which forms part of SEEPCO’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme for its host communities, aligns with activities marking the 2026 World Blood Donor Day with the theme, “One Drop of Humanity: Give Blood, Save Lives.”
The campaign was conducted across Delta State’s three senatorial districts — Asaba, Ughelli and Warri — where stakeholders sensitised residents on the importance of voluntary, regular and unpaid blood donation as the most sustainable means of ensuring adequate blood supply for healthcare facilities.
The exercise followed a similar campaign in Lagos State, where SEEPCO, in partnership with the Lagos State Blood Transfusion Service (LSBTS) and the Nigerian Red Cross Society, mobilised about 550 pints of blood within two days.
VCDF also highlighted the steady growth of its annual blood donation drive, with the number of donors increasing from 98 in 2022 to 147 in 2023, 268 in 2024 and 341 in 2025.
Before the Delta campaign, the foundation had recorded a cumulative total of 1,404 voluntary donors, a feat that earned it the Blood Donation Champion Award from the Lagos State Blood Transfusion Service.
At the Central Hospital, Ughelli, the hospital’s management and Blood Transfusion Committee commended SEEPCO, VCDF, the Delta State Ministry of Health and other partners for supporting initiatives aimed at improving access to safe blood for patients.
Speaking during the campaign, Delta State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Joseph Onojaeme, described voluntary blood donation as critical to responding to public health emergencies and saving lives during accidents, childbirth and other medical emergencies.
He said: “Voluntary blood donation is important for public health emergencies and to save lives during accidents and childbirth. We are deeply grateful to VCDF and its partners for their commitment to promoting voluntary blood donation and supporting life-saving healthcare initiatives.”
Participants said the awareness campaign had increased public understanding of the importance of blood donation, with many first-time donors expressing willingness to become regular donors after learning about the safety, benefits and life-saving impact of donating blood.
Stakeholders also stressed the need for sustained public enlightenment, noting that a single blood donation could save multiple lives, as the campaign recorded impressive community participation across the three senatorial districts.
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