The Niger Delta Civil Action Advocacy Group, NDCACG, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu not to fall for the bait being dangled by powerful forces, whom it alleged are working as oil theft cabal to arm-twist Tompolo out of their way, by deceiving the federal government to terminate the Tantita pipelines security contract.
The group said, “We are well aware of the near zero production of oil per day before Tantita’s major crackdown on oil theft in a scale that the nation has never witnessed before. This figure was far-in-between the 2.2 million barrels per day benchmark by OPEC as the oil producing quota from Nigeria.
“Today, the nation enjoys about 1.6 million barrel per day from an abysmal 700 barrels of oil production, thereby saving a whopping 8 billion in dollars of the country’s resources from bleeding out.
National President of NDCAC, Comrade Embale Jonathan in a statement made available to Vanguard said, “The bait is an ill-advice and a negative narrative being championed by merchants of the organized crime against the nation’s economy
“We are pleased to recognize and applaud the significant breakthrough achieved by the Federal Government in the fight against oil theft and illegal bunkering through the award of the pipeline surveillance contract to Tompolo by the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
“This strategic decision has not only led to the discovery and confiscation of numerous illegal bunkering points and vessels but has also contributed to the improvement of oil production in the country.
“We are well aware of the near zero production of oil at 700 barrels per day before Tantita’s major crackdown on oil theft in a scale that the nation has never witnessed before.
“Tompolo’s commendable efforts in this major aggressive campaign against crude oil theft, which led to unearthing these illegal activities have undoubtedly strengthened national security and boosted the government’s ongoing efforts to curb oil theft.
“The Civil Action Advocacy Group strongly urges President Tinubu to shun such calls, as they undermine national interest and the remarkable achievements made in the fight against oil theft, which is capable of jeopardizing the progress we have achieved in improving oil production as a nation.
“It is evident that those calling for the contract termination under any guise are aimed at ambushing Tompolo out of his crucial role in safeguarding our pipelines and exacerbating the misfortune of our nation.
“Such actions would be disastrous, not only for the government but also for the people of the Niger Delta region and the Nigerian people as a whole.
“As has been said, the impact of the pipeline surveillance contract with Tompolo is undeniable. It has enabled the government to clamp down on illegal bunkering activities, significantly reducing the loss of revenue attributed to oil theft. This has had a direct positive impact on the economy and the lives of Nigerians.”
Furthermore, the group frowned at the comments of a State Governor on the issue saying, “It is the least to expect from a governor who should display leadership, but chose to join the fray.
“The governor should recall that the oil pipeline surveillance was contracted to an Edo State indigene, which was single handedly managed by his company. It was noted that no Niger Deltan or any leader from the region raised a finger in protest to the Presidency against the single entity managing the contract.
“It is sad and disheartening to note that even when the contract is split into three and only a part is contracted to Tantita; it has become convenient for Niger Deltans to write Presidency to terminate his part of the contract.
Continuing the group said, “We cannot forget in a hurry how a foremost Niger Delta ex-agitator recently accused the Nigerian Military of complicity in oil theft and that they cannot be absolved of being involved in many of the illegal bunkering activities in the region.
“For instance, while a security agency was quick to release pictures of the Tantita Personnel allegedly caught, they are economical with truth about the name of the boat crew whom they claimed they were chasing and the whereabouts of the said motorized boat as it is with tradition of the security agency to display seized boats since they were the last seen with the boat as well as many other salient questions begging for an answer.
“We are therefore calling for an immediate release of the 5 innocently detained Personnel of the Tantita Security outfit.
“We make bold to say that the nation is very able to do much better with Tantita’s collaboration with the nation’s security agencies, especially the Nigerian Navy and the Joint Security Task Force (JTC) in the Niger Delta.
“Terminating the contract would not only disrupt the crucial progress made in curbing oil theft but would also send a wrong signal to other individuals or groups who would seek to exploit the country’s resources illegally. It would create a wave of uncertainty, making it harder to attract investors to the oil sector, which would ultimately hinder the government’s efforts to diversify the economy.
“TSSL has proven beyond reasonable doubt that it is professionally able to provide proactive security measures to safeguard operations in the Nigeria’s Oil and Gas sector. It has made good his preparedness for the job, delivered squarely and satisfactorily to the admiration of his employers – the Federal government and Nigerians by working hard to sanitize the oil industry through service excellence.
“In light of the positive impact of Tompolo’s involvement in the pipeline surveillance contract, we vehemently oppose any move to terminate the contract. And most importantly, the contract should be renewed. It is only through our collective efforts and support that we can ensure brighter, prosperous future economic fortunes for our great nation.”
@Vanguard Newspaper
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