Oil Theft: Immediate Past Delta Deputy Governor Urges Tinubu To Renew Tantita’s Surveillance Contract

Ogheneruona Tejiri, Warri

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been urged to renew the oil pipelines surveillance contract with Tantita Security Services Limited with a view to sustain maximum crude oil production as well as ensure clean environment in the Niger Delta region.

This call was made by Deacon Kingsley Otuaro, immediate past Deputy Governor of Delta State in a statement made available to Daily Independent in Warri, he said that the security company has made giant strides in collaboration with Government Security Agencies (GSA) to bring criminal acts of economic sabotage of the nation’s economy to the barest minimum as well as protect Government Critical assets in the once volatile Niger Delta region.

The immediate past Deputy Governor of Delta State noted that the activities of alleged economic saboteurs in vandalizing pipelines, well heads and other critical assets and the attendant near collapse of acquatic life in the oil rich region has been reduced by the coordinated fight against the criminals which in turn leads to increased crude oil production per day.

Accordng to Deacon Otuaro, “Tantita Security Services Limited assumes a pivotal role in safeguarding the nation’s critical oil and gas assets while combating the scourge of crude oil theft and pipelines vandalism in the volatile Niger Delta region.”

The immediate past Deputy Governor of Delta State implored President Tinubu to critically look into the significance of upholding the existing partnership with Tantita Security Services Ltd, a firm purportedly owned by Chief Government Ekpemupolo, also known as Tompolo saying that the partnership has been beneficial to the Federal Government as governments’ revenue has gone up from crude oil sales.

He added, “our national and sub-national governments’ fiscal foundations have invariably rested upon the tripod of revenue from crude oil and gas sales, tax receipts intricately linked to oil and gas subsidiary investments, and both external and internal borrowings.”

The immediate past Deputy Governor of Delta State was of the opinion that Tompolo’s background of being an indigene of Okerenkoko and Obotobo in Delta State makes him well suited to handle the job of securing the pipelines, adding that “is why the Company has been achieving breakthroughs and positive results in policing oil pipelines in the region.”

Deacon Otuaro spoke further, “hailing from the oil-rich communities of Okerenkoko and Obotobo in Delta State, Tompolo possesses an intimate comprehension of the tribulations posed by crude oil theft and vandalism. He is endowed with the competence and profound requisite insight to tackle the intricacies and sophistication characterizing the syndicated criminal activities of oil theft, oil asset vandalism and the mitigation of environmental despoliation in the region, Tantita Security Services Limited is indeed a perfect fit.”

He underscored the undeniable reality that Nigeria heavily depends on its oil and gas sector for revenue generation saying that any disruption in this sector could portend dire economic consequences.

The immediate past Deputy Governor then called on President Tinubu to critically assess past performances of Tantita in the midst of the ongoing deliberations concerning the renewal of the company’s contract, highlighting the remarkable strides taken in combating oil theft and asset degradation.”

Deacon Otuaro posited, “after all, it is an established fact that the campaign against the menace of oil theft and the destruction of national oil and gas assets has already made substantial headway. There is increased crude oil production. In the light of this, why the preposterous and untenable clamor for changing a triumphant alliance?”

He recalled the tumultuous era following the 2015 general election when pivotal oil and gas installations became recurrent targets, precipitating a significant plummet in crude oil production and price, when the Senator Ifeanyi Okowa led administration sets up Delta State Advocacy Committee Against Oil Assets Destruction, an initiative aimed at raising awareness about this issue and promoting advocacy campaigns, adding, I played significant role here, I was appointed the chairman of the Committee.”

He further disclosed that his active participation in high-level meetings at the Presidential Villa, where he contributed to addressing the multifaceted challenges in the Niger Delta region, encompassing unrest, environmental concerns and vandalization of pipelines, adding, “it was during these deliberations that the decision to enlist the expertise of Tantita Security Services Ltd was ratified to collaborate with Nigerian Navy and NNPCL to intensify the battle against crude oil theft and fortify critical national oil and gas assets.”

Deacon Otuaro assured that Tantita Security Services Ltd is proficient enough to handle the task of securing the nation’s oil and gas assets saying that the company is in a well-suited position to counter the sophisticated criminal activities associated with oil theft and asset vandalism in the Niger Delta region.