• Warns NNPCL CEO Against Revoking Tantita’s Contract
The Urhobo Youth Council (UYC) has called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene in an alleged plot aimed at undermining the progress made in the fight against oil theft and economic sabotage.
Led by Chief Peter Aghogho, the UYC accused the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Bayo Ojulari, of plotting to revoke the pipeline surveillance contract awarded to Tantita Security Services Limited and award the same to failed contractors.
They called on the Federal Government to sustain the partnership with Tantita Security Service Limited, led by Chief Government Ekpemupolo (Tompolo), for the protection of Nigeria’s oil pipelines.
Under Tompolo, the group said Tantita Security Services Limited has proven itself as the most reliable partner in the war against crude oil theft and economic sabotage, adding that there has been a sharp reduction in crude oil theft, among other gains.
According to Aghogho, “These achievements are not coincidental but the direct result of Tantita’s effective, grassroots-driven operations. They have restored confidence in Nigeria’s capacity to safeguard its most valuable national assets.’’
They expressed dismay over reports that the new NNPC management under Mr. Ojulari may be considering engaging failed contractors for the contract, warning that such a move would be at the expense of national interest.
‘’We appeal to Mr. President to retain Tantita Security Services for this sensitive national assignment. This partnership remains the surest path to sustaining peace, securing vital national assets, and consolidating Nigeria’s economic stability.
‘’Ojulari inherited a working surveillance structure but now wants to destabilise it with politics and divisive motives. This is not only reckless but also a threat to Mr. President’s reputation and goodwill in the Niger Delta ahead of 2027’’ Aghogho said.
He recalled that under the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, similar surveillance contracts were awarded across the Niger Delta to ex-agitators, ‘’But only Tompolo delivered effectively, while others either mismanaged the opportunity or turned it into avenues for illegal bunkering and sabotage.’’
‘’We cannot afford to repeat the mistakes of the past. History has shown us that Tompolo’s model is the only working template. Any attempt to split or frustrate the contract in favour of failed actors will only return us to the era of mass oil theft and economic sabotage.
‘’We appeal to Mr. President to disregard distractions and stand firm with Tantita Security Services. This contract is the backbone of Nigeria’s oil economy and a pillar of peace in our region. Tampering with it is tampering with national survival,” he said.
Aghogho stressed that the surveillance structure, manned largely by Niger Delta youths, has also created thousands of direct and indirect jobs, discouraged restiveness, and stabilised once volatile communities.
‘’The record speaks for itself. Tantita has succeeded where others failed. In the past, oil theft cost this country billions of dollars annually. Today, the story has changed because of Tompolo’s structure and sacrifice,’’ Aghogho noted.
