•Tompolo
A coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) has attributed the prevailing peace in the Niger Delta to the pipeline surveillance contract awarded to Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited (TSSL), owned by Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo.
The group said the impact of the contract has been crucial to restoring stability across the region, noting that the approach adopted by Tantita in executing the federal government mandate has significantly reduced criminal activities, reports Daily Independent.
Rising from a meeting in Port Harcourt, the leader of the coalition and founder of the Youth Rescue International Development Organisation (YRIDO), Comrade Nature Dumale Kieghe, stated that the company’s operations have reshaped the security landscape of the Niger Delta.
Kieghe noted that Tantita’s strategy of engaging stakeholders across host communities played a critical role in achieving widespread acceptance and cooperation, which he described as key to sustaining peace.
He added that the surveillance contract has also helped to redirect thousands of youths from criminal activities into productive engagements, including peace-building initiatives, community service and development-oriented programmes, stressing that since the commencement of the contract, incidents of kidnapping, armed robbery and other violent crimes that once characterised the Niger Delta have drastically declined.
The coalition maintained that the contract remains a major factor behind the relative calm currently being experienced in the region.
They cautioned against any attempt to alter the structure or framework of the contract, warning that such moves could jeopardise the fragile peace already achieved, highlighting that the surveillance operations has contributed to tackling environmental pollution linked to illegal oil bunkering and artisanal refining, which previously caused widespread soot in parts of the region, particularly Port Harcourt.
Kieghe said, “As civil society organisations we have a responsibility to ensure that the Niger Delta continues to experience relative peace. I want to also appreciate the National Assembly for passing a vote of confidence on Tantita security company.
“As CSOs in the Niger Delta region, we want to also thank and Appreciate Tompolo through his Tantita Security Services for his engagements. The peace we are experiencing to a large extent is channeled to the engagement of Tantita.
“It has reduced many criminalities. Tantita has engaged many of the youths. The black soot has completely gone because of the activities of the Tantita Security Services in making sure that there is zero tolerance to illegal oil bunkering and illegal refining of crude oil.
“Nobody wakes up these days to see soot in his surroundings. Tompolo has ensured he stopped it. Therefore health hazards have been halted through the Tantita. I believe as Chief Executive Officer of Youth Rescue International that Tantita had shown responsibility and capacity over the years and the government is comfortable working with them,” he added.
Kieghe argued that Tantita and the government had established a good-working relationship adding that any attempt to decentralize the contract would hinder effective monitoring and control.
He explained that Tompolo had personally ensured that he sublet the contract to other firms and individuals in various states of the Niger Delta after setting up robust a system to monitor them to avoid sabotage.
In his words, “It will be difficult for the government to be monitoring too many individuals. That is why they concentrate on Tantita. Tantita has sublet its contracts to many organizations and contractors. The monitoring of pipeline jobs is properly organized. Government knows who to hold responsible.
“Tompolo is taking a lot of risks because if anything goes wrong they will hold him responsible. He must be careful with whom he engages because he cannot afford to engage people that will sabotage the process. As civil society organisations and NGO in the Niger Delta and the diaspora, we believe that he has shown capacity”.
Kieghe flayed some persons opposing Tompolo and Tantita and wondered why they were not dragging other beneficiaries of similar contracts in the Niger Delta.
He reminded them that the contract was given to Tompolo and Tantita on merit saying that they won the job through a bid process.
Kieghe asked persons crying over the contract to think out of the box and seek ways to attract other Federal contracts to the Niger Delta in imitation of Tompolo.
He said: “There are many things to get from the Federal government. People should leave Tompolo alone and pursue other things. Instead of fighting someone who has succeeded in getting something for the region, they should go and seek ways of bringing other contracts to Niger Delta.
“We don’t want this environment to be plunged into violence again. We are just coming from a tensed environment. In the wisdom of Mr President and NSA they gave the contract to him because he lobbied for it. For proper monitoring and evaluation of pipeline security job, they gave someone central that they can hold responsible and over the years they had shown capacity.
“We are saying that those who live in glass houses don’t throw stones. A house divided against itself cannot stand. Lets stop the pull down syndrome because it is a demonic spirit. As Niger Delta people we must stop allowing people to infiltrate us to cause division among us. It is not wise, we must learn to work together and get what we want.
“Let’s continue to synergies and bond because we are not too many. As YRIDO We are committed to taking young people out of the streets. We don’t want to get more young people idle and drive them to take to drugs and commit crimes. That is why we are supporting Tompolo and we are asking everybody to work with him. Don’t fight him”.
Kieghe described Tompolo as a simple and easy-going person and asked persons desiring to work with him to approach him instead of antagonizing him.
He said: “The Tompolo I know is not a difficult person. He is easy-going and accommodating. If you want to be part of what he is doing first recognize that it is his thing. If you want to be part of what he is doing, go and lobby and negotiate with him instead of fighting him.
“There are other pipeline contracts running in the Niger Delta and nobody is calling the names of their owners. All stakeholders should support Tantita. Let’s give him all the support so that when it gets to your turn others will support you. If you are used to pulling people down, when it gets to your turn you will be pulled down. There is so much strength in unity and the idea of fighting ourselves is alien”.
Also speaking the Spokesperson of ex-agitators in Akwa Ibom State, Amb. Alfred Etuk, said persons trying to pull Tompolo down lacked the capacity to do the job.
He said: “We are asking Mr President to ignore those agitating that the jobs should be taken away from Tompolo. They cannot even run it. We believe in the leadership of Tompolo. Ever since he has been handling this job, we have experienced peace.
“If it is taken away from him the region will be plunged into crisis and criminality. These are enemies of the region and their agitations are borne out of greed. They don’t want Niger Delta to move forward. The era of criminality is gone and what we want is peace and development. Tantita has succeeded in taking many young men out of the streets and engaged them”.
