Oil Theft War: Rep Ereyitomi Writes Tinubu, Calls For Renewal, Expansion Of Tompolo’s Contract

The Member Representing Warri Federal Constituency in the Federal House of Representatives, Hon Thomas Ereyitomi, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to prevail on the NNPCL to renewal and expansion pipeline surveillance awarded to Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited.

Ereyitomi made the call in an open letter to President Tinubu, commending Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited and Chief Government Ekpemupolo (Aka Tompolo) on the onslaught against oil thieves.

The Lawmaker who is also the Chairman House Committee on Petroleum Resources (Training Funds) and the Akatigbi Ayeola of Warri Kingdom, hinged the call on the recent breakthrough on the arrest of MT Kali and MT Harbor Spirit by Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited in collaboration with the Special Task Force of the Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla.

While saying that Tantita Security was doing a wonderful job, he implored President Tinubu to speed up Tantita Pipelines Surveillance Contracts renewal and expansion.

According to him, the open letter is a follow up to the one he sent to the President on the 30th August, 2023, saying it is on the same subject matter of pipelines surveillance contracts in the Niger Delta.

The Federal Lawmaker said that in the first letter, he reviewed the sterling performance of Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited (TSSNL), one of the private security companies hired by the Federal Government for surveillance of oil pipelines.

“I made it known to Mr. President that Tantita holds the revered position of primus inter pares amongst security firms engaged by the federal authorities to provide surveillance for pipelines in the Niger Delta, and that the company’s contract should be renewed to encourage its management for better future performance.

“Since my letter was published, which I believe was brought to your attention, the NNPCL has procrastinated for 6 (six) months over the Tantita contract renewal. This is unfair”, he said.

He pointed out that what is to be done, should be done well and quickly too, adding that the delay of action was not good enough.

“Crude oil daily production”, he said, has kept improving, saying it shows some people work day and night to ensure a turnaround, and those responsible for the feat, the government must encourage.

“Recent events and development made me want to contact you again on the same matter.

“You may wonder why I keep drumming up support for Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited? Wondering whether I am their special purpose advertising vehicle or the company’s megaphone.

“Well, I am non of that. I do what am doing to intimate Mr. President and the relevant authorities of the firm’s commitment to duty and how it has restored oil production in areas were non has been produced for years”, the Lawmaker wrote.

He stated that the Presidency under Muhammadu Buhari had a touch of genius to have recognized the potentials of Tompolo and his Tantita outfit just as he said that the company has done well in the protection of pipelines and other Federal Government oil assets in the Niger Delta.

He further said; “Crude production has risen steadily over time, oscillating between 1.4 – 1.6 million barrels per day, from a pittance 650 thousand barrels, before the intervention by Tantita”.

“Operatives of Tantita Security working in a collaborative synergy with a detachment of government special task force, set up by the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, recently launched an unending, ruthless and relentless, well synchronized siege on unrepentant criminals and oil thieves in the Niger Delta. So far, the results have been very encouraging”,he added.

The Lawmaker disclosed; “In the last three weeks, two heavy duty oil bunkering vessels – MT Kali & MT Harbour Spirit, both with capacity to lift hundred of thousands tonnes of crude oil, were intercepted and apprehended during the joint operations of Tantita and the Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla special forces.

“The two arrests signal a new threshold for potential gains in a marriage of the Nigerian Navy and Tantita. This is a major win in the battle to rid the nation’s waterways of oil thieves and economic saboteurs”, the letter reads.