The Niger Delta Stakeholders Forum, NDSF, a nongovernmental organisation in the Niger Delta region, has stated its position on a recent allegedly sponsored protest targeted at Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited, TSSNL, by an element in the region that uses its influence to pocket huge sums of money through pipeline surveillance without doing anything.

The NSDF made its position known in a statement it released titled 'The Sponsored Itsekiri Protest In Lagos By The Failed Trans-Forcados Pipelines Surveillance Contractor and Olu of Warri Against Tompolo and Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited (TSSNL) was Misguided' and that was signed by Julius Dakoru on behalf of the group.

The full statement as released by the NSDF on Tuesday, April 30, 2024, reads:

"When a man points an accusing finger at another, he forgets his other fingers point back at him. The failed contractor, whose TRANS-FORCADOS Pipelines Surveillance contracts was terminated for failure to deliver and Olu of Warri, the revered monarch of Itsekiri, shouldn't be dabbling in petty tribal sentiments and squabbles.

"Their recent sponsor of a supposed Itsekiri protest in Lagos against Chief Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, doesn't befit his royal status. It has become open to everyone that those who carried placards at their behest may not even be Itsekiri. They were a hired crowd, people oblivious of what is obtained in pipelines surveillance in the Niger Delta. If they knew, they won't have involved themselves in that charade.

"For people not abreast with the facts, the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwase III's company - Pipelines Infrastructures Nigeria Limited (PINL), handles the largest pipelines surveillance contract in the region. The Olu handles over 80% of the surveillance contracts, while Tantita, owned by Tompolo handles less than 20%, and has a workforce of over 25, 500 operatives and numerous subcontractors.

"Those who go to equity should remember they must have clean hands. The Olu of Warri runs his surveillance contract in his Warri Palace, without workers in the field. He is not known to hire anyone.

"The Olu pockets billions of Naira every month doing nothing. He doesn't care and feels untouchable. He has no workers anywhere in the Niger Delta. Hence, the attendant high oil theft in the areas under the supervision of his company.

"More worrisome was the TRANS-FORCADOS Surveillance job, awarded to an Itsekiri man, an all of the Itsekiri monarch.  This job was terminated by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) due to non-performance.

"This all important pipelines was being subjected to frequent vandalism and attendant crude oil theft, until the NNPCL was compelled to do the needful in the interest of the nation's economy. As security reports frequently reveal.

"This frustrated contractor is said to be the sponsors of the recent protests and staged-managed press conference against Chief Tompolo and his company, Tantita. The embittered contractor has been chasing shadows.

"If by stretch of the imagination, all those who protested on his behalf are Itsekiri - his subjects. Why is it that they don't see anything wrong with the monarch's negligence of duty in the pipelines surveillance contract?

"The royal father's performance in the contract is terribly abysmal, below expectations and they know it.

"Charity should begin from home and not at the doorstep of another man. Are they applauding the royal father for reaping off the Federal Government in the surveillance contract?

"In the first place, how many Itsekiri indigenes are employed by Pipelines Infrastructures Nigeria Limited IPNL, owned by the Olu of Warri? And how many sub-contractors of Itsekiri extraction has the Olu engaged or farmed out his pipelines contracts to? None!

"What was the meaning of the Lagos protest? What was it all about? What schemes are up the monarch's sleeves? Why would a royal father want to smear an ordinary citizen? Was it to malign Tantita in bad light and expropriate its meager share?

"To hang a dog, it must be given a bad name. The Olu wants Tantita's little pipelines contract of less than 20% cancelled and added to his lion share? But wishes are not horses.

"It is alright for anyone to have intentions, but seeing them through is another issue. The Olu schemes will meet a brick wall. Government Ekpemupolo's handling of his share of the pipelines contract has been widely commended by those who hired him - and by other relevant stakeholders.

"Even President Bola Tinubu, the National Assembly, NUJ, Military top brass, etc. are happy with Tantita's diligence and commitment to work. Tantita has not only delivered on its mandate, it has also provided jobs for the teeming youths of the region. And a large catch of Itsekiri youths work for Tantita.

THE ITSHEKIRI EMPLOYEES OF TANTITA PRESS CONFERENCE

"The Itsekiri employees of Tantita completely rubbished the Lagos protest. They stoutly defended Tantita in a press briefing on Friday 26th April 2024, and appreciated Tompolo for his inclusive style of doing things. Itsekiri beneficiaries gathered at Ugbodede Community, in the Warri South Local Government Area, of Delta State to counter the Lagos protest.

"Fidelis Lori, Coordinator of Obodo, Opumami Cluster, and six other communities spoke at the press briefing, 'We have contracts, we have those that are employed directly working with Tantita Security Services and by the grace of God, most of our coordinators are here. We are here to tell the general public that whatever they were saying were all misleading. Itsekiri communities to the best of our knowledge, we have been carried along. We've looked into that video closely, critically.... we found out that 100 percent of those that are involved during that purported protest happened not to be from Itsekiri indigenes, they're not from our communities, the people you are seeing here now are the people representing Itsekiri communities.'

"Engr. Samson Uwatse, Coordinator of Tantita, Ugbodede Unit, covering routes along the Warri River added that Tantita has indeed touched so many lives in Itsekiri Land. 'We have employees in Ugbodede Community as a whole. In this community, we have women employees, elders, and youths who are partaking in Tantita Security Services, and they all have been paid every month. So, with all this together, I want to inform the entire nation that those people that are saying that Tompolo and Tantita is not carrying Itsekiri along are liars and the Tantita office is doing well in fighting oil theft in the nation. We the Itsekiris are here to support it fully,' Uwatse stated.

"Another Itsekiri Tantita's beneficiary, Kuyatsemi Collins, expressed anger over the Lagos protest, stressing that they are not happy about the accusation, that Tantita is not giving employment to Itsekiri. Asserting, 'We are here to say that it is not true.'

"That press conference acknowledged the good will of Government Ekpemupolo to all and sundry. It exonerates him of tribal bigotry allegation as portrayed by the Lagos protest.

"How much is the worth of Tantita's surveillance contract compared to that held by others? Mere pittance! Yet he spreads its proceeds across the region. All the ethnic groups of the region are well represented in Tantita because of Tompolo's inclusive policy snd the manner he accommodates everyone make people wonder if he makes profits from the contracts.

"This is in contradiction to the contract held by the Olu of Warri. Despite its huge size, no other person benefits. He is tightfisted. To him, money is everything, the people are just puns on his chessboard. The Royal Father runs PINL like a cult.

"And lest we forget, Chief Ayirimi Emami and Mr. Godwin Ebosa, are notable Itsekiri sons. They are sub-contractors to Tompolo's Tantita, an Ijaw. Tantita also have over 12,000 Itsekiris in its employment and payroll.

"One is therefore forced to ask how many Ijaws are sub-contractors to the Olu of Warri's Pipelines Infrastructures Nigeria Limited? And how many Ijaws are workers with the Olu's surveillance company? Certainly none!

"The question is: What does Itsekiri wants from Tompolo's Tantita? One wonders why they keep stirring up bad blood. However, some liberal minded ones are unhappy with the parochial worldview of their brothers who abhor peace and encourage the divisive tantrums of the Olu Palace.

"Lastly, the Olu's fake Lagos protesters, if they are real Itsekiri, should hold the monarch accountable for swallowing every proceed from his contracts, and not Tompolo whose activities are open like a book.

"They should first remove the log from their eyes, before venturing to do so for others. They were rented to carry placards and should be ignored."

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