OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT BOLA AHMED TINUBU GCFR ON THE NIGER DELTA OIL FACILITIES AND PROTECTION OF CRUDE OIL PIPELINES
His Excellency,
Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria
Aso Rock Presidential villa
Abuja
Dear Mr. President sir,
A PLEA TO MR. PRESIDENT TO RENEW TANTITA SURVEILLANCE CONTRACT
The dynamics in policy and actions of Mr. President in the last ninety (90) days of his administration has set the nation on a course to early restoration, both in the economy and the security of citizens. Though Nigerians are groaning from the fuel subsidy removal, sick people sometimes need bitter medicines to get well.
Extreme maladies, they say, demand extreme measures.
In the light of the foregoing, I heartily pledge my full support and allegiance to Mr. President for the foresight and due diligence.
No one at daylight sees a discernible object of beauty and holds a lamp to it. Mr. President should continue in his stride with the present momentum.
There are no bones about it, Nigerians see you as the head of a salvage team.
The issue for which I write you this open letter Mr. President is that of securing oil facilities in the Niger Delta. In the last two weeks, there have been spates of media smear campaigns to discredit the private security company that brought order and sanity to crude oil production in the region.
The company, Tantita Security Services Limited, has come under the barrage of attacks from phony individuals and groups, whose interest seems opaque and questionable. They clamour for the non renewal of the Tantita pipelines surveillance contract.
They have neither come up with cogent reasons for their non support of the contract renewal, nor proffered better remedies for a better approach to protecting oil infrastructures in the Niger Delta.
Hence, I believe the underlying reasons for the objection appear shrouded on envy of the headship and promoter of Tantita Security Services Limited, High Chief Government Ekpemupolo ( alias Tompolo ).
Well, Mr. President sir, I do not intend to dabble in parochial tribal politics here but before August 2022, crude production in the Niger Delta, literally came to a halt.
Nigeria fell miserably behind in its OPEC allocated quota of 2.2 million barrels per day. It barely met production of 700 thousand barrels per day.
For this supervening reason, the nation’s economy went into a series of recessions.
The President Muhammadu Buhari’s Administration became financially hand strapped, as it could not meet its obligations and commitments. And it took to massive borrowing, at home and abroad.
To cut a long story short, Tantita Security Services Limited, a private security company, with a wide knowledge of the Niger Delta waterways and well equipped for the job, was hired to secure the nation’s oil facilities.
International criminal gangs and a syndicate of local collaborators ran the gauntlet around the nation’s oil. They stole crude oil in tons, running into trillions from our shores, without anyone to intercept or interdict the humongous theft and illicit operations.
It was on this premise that Tantita Security Services Limited stepped in, and the company did so well.
I give the credit from the benefit of hindsight. I am from the Niger Delta and represent Warri Federal constituency in the House of Representatives. So, I know what is on the ground.
In a game of football, you don’t change a winning team. Rather, they are encouraged with incentives to put in their best. Tantita has done very well for the country. Those on the forefront raising alarm over Tantita don’t mean well for Nigeria. It won’t be out of place to accuse them of having a hidden agenda. If not, why do they want Tantita contract not renewed when the company is doing a good job?
To renew Tantita’s contract is in order, as it would be for the consolidation of the gains already made in the last one year. It would further raise the bar for more crude production in the years ahead.
When Tantita Security Services Limited took charge, crude production rose from a paltry 700 thousand barrels per day to 1.6 million barrels per day.
The renewal would accord the security outfit a fresh impetus in the next one year to totally eliminate the menace of oil racketeers and improve on the current production.
The contract renewal can only be the reward for hardwork and dedication to responsibilities by Tantita Security Services Limited.
Nigerians least appreciate commitment, hardwork and national interest, otherwise no one would stand opposed Tantita Security Services Limited.
Those opposed to the renewal merely want a return to the old order, where oil mafia syndicates ruled the Niger Delta creeks. We don’t have to revert to that.
As the Representative of Warri Federal Constituency, I can testify that Tantita Security Services Limited has delivered.
The signs and accomplishments are visible. For instance, Tantita has raised the bar in the physical and mental wellbeing of our people in the oil bearing communities.
We no longer have soothes from illegal refining activities released to poison the atmosphere, thereby resulting in the outbreak of life-threatening diseases, such as lung cancer. It’s also worthy to note that operations of Tantita have encouraged locals to return to their traditional business of fishing because their water is no longer polluted through the activities of the illegal oil dealers.
They have chased away the oil thieves and a battalion of untrained illegal refiners in the areas under their coverage in the region.
The next stage is to extend and expand the good work Tantita is doing to other areas where renegades are still operating with international collaborators.
The fight must be taken to them full scale by TANTITA.
Mr. President sir, I thank you for the good job you are doing and I appeal that the pipelines surveillance contract be renewed for Tantita and done speedily too.
Yours sincerely,
Rt. Hon. Chief Thomas Ereyitomi, Member, House of Representatives, Abuja, representing Warri Federal Constituency & Akatigbi-Ayeola of Warri Kingdom, alias Ojogbojor.
