TANTITA AND ITS OPERATIONS: ARE THE PUBLIC VICTIMS OR VICTORS OF ITS SERVICES

By Alaowei Cleric Esq

Tantita Security Services of Nigeria Limited is a security Company engaged by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) to carry out surveillance works on the oil facilities in parts of the Niger Delta region. The Company by its terms of reference is to move round the oil facilities in its mandate areas to ensure that they’re protected; arrest and/or expose suspected oil thieves or illegal bunkerers or their syndicates and handover them to the security agents for prosecution.

Tantita is not the only company that has been given such onerous and dangerous job to protect the national assets in the Country. Before and after Tantita has been awarded the contract, many other companies do have the privilege to secure this job from NNPCL. However, none of the companies save Tantita who secured this contract up till date can boast of a single success story of securing the oil facilities from the sophisticated illegal bunkerers in the region.

Tantita Security Services from inception of its operations has recorded milestone achievements of exposing and/or arresting illegal bunkering syndicates across its mandate areas in Niger Delta region thereby boosting the dwindling Nigeria’s oil production capacity to meet OPEC quotas in the international market. Also, its operations have reduced the environmental hazards associated with the activities of illegal bunkering. This victory has been attested to by NNPCL itself.
It’s suffice to conclude at this juncture that, with the successes of Tantita, it has incurred the wrath of powerful oil syndicates who have been milking the Country’s only economic source to begin to fight back.

To prove their capabilities, these oil thieves attacked Tantita patrol teams at various times. A good number of Tantita personnel have been killed by the attackers. In some occasions, they collaborate with some compromised security agents to thwart the efforts of the Company by arresting and or preventing Tantita personnel from gaining access to some of its mandate areas. The mother of the modus operandi of these oil saboteurs is the use of the media, especially the social media to carry out mischievous propaganda against Tantita operations. Some of the youths in the social media with their mental hobos have become willing tools to the propaganda theory of these illicit oil merchants.

The question that is begging for answer is whether Tantita personnel bear arms? The answer to me is a capital NO. Of the Company’s terms of reference, it is to work with the relevant security agencies. The Company is therefore in a joint patrol team with the Army, Navy, Civil Defence and the Police. The accusations that Tantita personnel visited particular communities to harass people with arms and ammunition find no expression in the corridor of truth. Lie is always a lie even if every oil thieves and their sympathizers are trying to embellish it. In the same vein, truth is always truth even if every enemies of progress are against it. Walson Homely said “Those who are permissible to tell white lies will soon grow color blind”. Similarly, Thomas Jefferson once said “Honesty is the first chapter of the book of wisdom. Never chase a lie. If you leave it alone, it will run itself to death..” Marcus Antonio said “Truth is always strong no matter how weak it looks and falsehood is always weak no matter how strong it looks.’

I agree with Ralph Waldorf Hennessy who said “In the battle between falsehood and truth, falsehood may win the first battle but truth wins the war. If we live truly, we shall truly live.” To see some prominent persons in the society to come on air to propagate falsehood against Tantita operations baffles me. What more can I say? They looked pale while lying. Now I remember words on the marble that said we punish ourselves with every lies and reward ourselves with every right action. A lie will add to your troubles, subtract from your energies, multiply your difficulties and divide your effectiveness.

In my humble findings, Tantita operations never victimize anybody in its mandate areas. It’s said that clear conscience fears no accusation. If anyone is claiming being a victim of Tantita operations, Nigeria security agents may need to investigate such person. Only those who have their illegal bunkering syndicates being exposed may cry out sentimentally to cover up their illicit trades.

Tantita being oil related Company is not the only company in the oil sector. However, its corporate social responsibilities towards communities in its mandate areas, the impacted communities amongst others have surpassed the corporate social responsibilities of even oil exploratory companies in the Niger Delta region. The Company has two sets of workers they are paying; non-field (ghost) workers and field workers. The ghost workers cut across the communities in its mandate areas as well as oil impacted communities in the Niger Delta region. Ditto to the field workers as well. The Company has a work force of nearly a million personnel whom they’re paying every month.

Similarly, the Company also carry out other corporate social responsibilities to communities in its mandate areas. Social amenities such as pipe-born water, rehabilitation of public roads, renovation and upgrading of government facilities in the various communities, carry out empowerment programmes for the people in its mandate areas, give scholarships to people across the region, sponsor business entrepreneurs with millions of naira, etc.

No oil multinational company in the Niger Delta region has ever done a quarter of what Tantita is doing for the Niger Delta people and Nigerians in general. Such a Company deserves commendation and not blackmailing. I commend the Chairman of the Company, High Chief Government Ekpemupolo aka Tompolo, the Ibe Ebidou-owei of Ijaw Nation, the Managing Director, High Chief Keston E. Pondi, the General Manager, Operations, Sir, Godfrey Tare Pondi amongst other eminent personalities.

By:
Alaowei, Cleric Ebikonbowei, Esq.
A Public Affairs Analyst,
Writes from Eseimogbene-Ayakoromo.