President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu have been urged to intervene in rising tensions in the Niger Delta over disputes surrounding oil pipeline surveillance contracts. The appeal came from the Niger Delta Advocate for Good Governance, Anti-Corruption and Transparency Initiative, which warned that unresolved conflicts could threaten regional peace. Following a meeting in Abuja, the group called for immediate consultations with key stakeholders who contributed to past peace efforts, particularly during the Presidential Amnesty Programme. One such figure highlighted was DCN. Dr Shola Mese, JP, also known as Mr FBI, a security consultant credited with persuading militant groups in the Bini River axis of Egbema Kingdom to disarm between Delta and Edo states. The group specifically recommended the creation of a Presidential Committee on Peacebuilding and Conflict Resolution to mediate the current dispute. It also named Chief Timi Alaibe, former NDDC managing director and pioneer chairman of the Amnesty Programme, as another critical voice who should be included. The group dismissed a recent claim attributed to HRM Mujahid Dokubo-Asari alleging that Ogiame Atuwatse III, the Olu of Warri, and Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL) secured a ₦2.7 trillion annual surveillance contract, calling it unverified and baseless. Traditional rulers in Delta State were also advised to avoid inflammatory statements, particularly those linked to the HOSCON Advisory Council.
Citing Shola Mese and Timi Alaibe by name exposes how heavily Nigeria still leans on individuals from a decade ago to manage Niger Delta peace. If current tensions over a ₦2.7 trillion contract claim can only be cooled by reactivating figures from the 2009 amnesty era, it suggests institutional mechanisms have not evolved. The region's stability is being held together by legacy relationships, not updated policy or trust in present governance. That's not continuity — it's stagnation masked as diplomacy.
