The National Probity and Value for Nation Building Organisation has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over the renewal of the Pipeline Surveillance Contract of TANTITA Security Company The group through its spokesperson appraised the work done so far in the fight against crude oil theft in the last one year.
With excitement, the spokesperson for the group, Mr. Adewale Balogun, lauded the arrest of the vessel MT KALI and its crew by TANTITA Security Company owned by Chief Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, and men of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) at the Pennington Oil Field in Bayelsa State.
The group noted that the vessel, MT Kali, had made Pennington Oil Field in Bayelsa State, its choice destination for stealing crude oil as evidence showed before its last ill-fated journey. At the time of the arrest, it noted that the MT KALI had stolen about 200,000 litres of crude oil into one of the manifolds of its humongous belly that has capacity to do more serious damage to the nation’s economy and environment.
It gave kudos to Mr. President for his unwavering commitment to continue with salvaging the country from the brink of economic and security collapse and called for all patriots of the country to stand behind the President if we are really serious about nation-building. It also acknowledged the work of former President Buhari in the fight against crude oil theft at a time when the nation’s hydrocarbon output had suffered immensely from criminal assaults.
Balogun singled out TANTITA Security Company and the NNPCL for the courageous, effective and reliable services it has offered to protect the nation’s hydrocarbon assets from the criminal menace of crude oil thieves and noted the successes recorded as follows:
* Arrest of the MT KALI, the 7th of such vessels engaged in crude oil theft in the last one year
* From a production low of about 500,000 barrels of crude oil, the pendulum swings between 2,000,000 barrels a day now, a testament to the success of the federal government, NNPCL and TANTITA Security Company collaborations and efforts respectively.
* Nigeria is now back to number one position in the OPEC production quota for Africa.
* NNPCL records profits for the first time in years following reduction in as crude oil theft.
* Increased forex earnings for the federal government as a result of increase in crude oil production.
* Equipping the federal and state governments respectively with needed revenue to finance development projects and social contract with the citizenry.
* A gradual return of investors’ confidence in the oil and gas sector.
* A cleaner and resuscitating environment as it is being attested to by the people in the oil producing communities in the Niger Delta.
* Drop in crime rate in the Niger Delta as a lot of youth are engaged by TANTITA Pipeline Security and Surveillance Company.
The group expressed dismay at statements credited to the Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri calling for the cancellation of the pipeline surveillance and security contract. The governor had made the criticism when he hosted the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice-Admiral Ikechukwu Ogalla, in Yenagoa
It said the governor should know better as a member of NEC (National Economic Council) the benefits of engaging private security contractors as exemplified by the efficient work of TANTITA Pipeline Security and Surveillance Company.
It said the Bayelsa State Governor could not at the same time be calling for the cancellation of the contracts of private security contractors in the oil and gas sector and in the same breath be calling for a decentralisation for the same contract to include others.
The group said the governor’s position was confusing and posited that “One who comes into equity must do so with clean hands” and urged the President and NNPCL to discountenance the comments of the governor.
It said the loss of the criminal mafia engaged in crude oil theft is the gain of the federal government and Nigerians as the fight against the crude oil thieves has punched holes in their pockets.
The NPVNBO also said hardly had the governor’s criticism of pipeline security and surveillance contract to private companies than MT KALI was caught stealing crude oil at the Pennington Oil Platform in Bayelsa State.
The group called on President Tinubu to be ruthless in the fight against crude oil theft and environmental destruction in the Niger Delta. It went further to suggest to the federal government to also introduce a security and theft metrics for oil and gas production in the producing states and that states caught wanting should be fined from their shares of the federation account.
“We commend the efforts of the federal government and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, NNPCL, the NSA Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, TANTITA Pipeline Surveillance and Security Company and other private contractors, the Nigerian Army, the Nigerian Navy, the Nigerian Police Force, NCDSC. We believe as a nation we are up to the task to get rid of the criminals gangs engaged in crude oil theft”.
