President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and lawmakers in the National Assembly have been urged to make Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited (TSSNL) the sole contractor providing surveillance for oil pipelines and other national assets in the Niger Delta region, including securing offshore facilities.

In a joint statement signed by stakeholders in the Niger Delta, Amb. Fred Igere JP and Chief Williams Tortor, they noted that the issue of securing oil pipelines is a national one and should not be deliberated upon on the basis of ethnic affiliation.

The stakeholders frowned at the recent attacks against TSSNL despite the security firm's commitment to operate outside its mandate objectives by creating more jobs, providing support infrastructures and empowerment, all in its bid to contribute to community and national development, something that no other contractor has ever done before.

"Has any pipeline surveillance contractor before now achieved or done what Tantita is doing in terms of empowering businesses, involving more youths by creating more jobs, and building infrastructures for various institutions across the country?" they asked rhetorically.

In their statement, Amb. Igere and Chief Tortor further alleged that those who are envious of the gigantic strides of TSSNL and are afraid of losing relevance are the ones sponsoring and staging protest that the government should split the contract.

They further cautioned those they referred to as "ignorant" to not allow themselves to be used by the enemies of progress to cause confusion in the country, noting that such actions will also portray them as "shallow minded".

They asked, "Those that are allowing themselves to be used to protest against Tantita, are they aware that securing oil pipelines is a national issue and not a local one? Do they know the history behind this current option that the government, having tried other alternatives and failed, settled for, because it is producing positive results?"

The stakeholders called on the federal government to ignore such protests and to expand the surveillance contract of Tantita to include offshore as the company has the capacity to undertake such a task.

"We are calling as well as urging the federal government to expand the surveillance scope of Tantita to include offshore surveillance of national assets as the company is more than capable to do the job.

"Also, if this country is to move forward, the time has come for its national leaders to base their decisions on competence, not subject such to ethnic affiliations or sentiments. He, who the cap fits, should wear it, and High Chief Government Oweizide Ekpemupolo alias Tompolo, the Chairman of Tantita, is a leader that everyone knows the cap fits," they added.

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