The Joint Committee of the House of Representatives on Host Communities (HOSTCOM) and Public Petitions has opposed renewed calls for the decentralisation of Nigeria’s pipeline surveillance contract, arguing that existing legal provisions under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) already provide adequate community participation.
The position was made known on Wednesday at the end of a joint legislative retreat held in Owerri, Imo State, which brought together lawmakers and Niger Delta stakeholders to review pipeline security and host community development frameworks.
The retreat, themed “Strengthening Pipeline Surveillance Through Host Communities Partnership, Accountability and Sustainable Development Under the Petroleum Industry Act 2021,” ended with lawmakers passing a vote of confidence in Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited and calling for the extension of its contract.
They urged the Federal Government and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to grant the company a long-term renewal, citing what they described as improved performance in safeguarding oil infrastructure.
In their resolutions dated May 27, the committees said Chapter Three of the Petroleum Industry Act already provides a decentralised structure through the Host Communities Development Trust (HCDT), supported by the mandatory three per cent operational expenditure contributions from oil companies.
According to the lawmakers, these provisions ensure sufficient community involvement in pipeline surveillance and development, making additional decentralisation unnecessary.
“The HOSTCOM provisions under Sections 234–258 of the PIA already guarantee legal and operational decentralisation for oil-producing communities across the Niger Delta,” the committee stated.
They therefore dismissed fresh demands for further decentralisation of the surveillance contract, insisting that the current arrangement remains effective.
“All calls for further ‘decentralisation’ of the private security contract are hereby dismissed as baseless and anti-Niger Delta,” the resolutions read.
The committee also passed a unanimous vote of confidence in Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited, describing its collaboration with NNPCL as effective in reducing crude oil theft and improving national production levels.
“Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited, in partnership with NNPCL, has rendered demonstrably effective service in the protection of crude oil pipelines and the recovery of national crude oil production,” the lawmakers stated.
The retreat further commended President Bola Tinubu, the NNPCL and the Office of the National Security Adviser for what it described as progress in restoring stability and protecting Nigeria’s oil assets.
In addition, the committees resolved to sponsor an amendment to the Petroleum Industry Act seeking to increase HOSTCOM funding from three per cent to six per cent of oil companies’ operating expenditure.
The lawmakers said the proposed increase would strengthen community development initiatives, including infrastructure provision, youth empowerment, environmental remediation and broader economic support for oil-producing areas.
The resolution is expected to be formally presented for legislative consideration in the National Assembly in the coming weeks.
