…. Knocks Bayelsa state government over comments on Pipeline Surveillance contract

The National Probity and Value for Nation Building Organisation has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over the renewal of the Pipeline Surveillance Contract of TANTITA Security Company, the group through its spokesperson appraised the work done so far in the fight against crude oil theft in the last one year.

With excitement the spokesperson for the group lauded the arrest of the vessel MT KALI and its crew by TANTITA Security Company owned by High Chief Government Oweizide Ekpemupolo alias Tompolo and men of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) at the Pennington Oil Field in Bayelsa State, the group noted that the vessel MT KALI had made Pennington Oil Field in Bayelsa State its choice destination for stealing crude oil as evidence will show before its ill fated journey this time, at the time of the arrest, it noted that the MT KALI had stolen about 200000 thousand litres of crude oil into one of the manifold of its humongous belly that has capacity to do more serious damage to the nation’s economy and environment.

It gave kudos to Mr. President for his unwavering commitment to continue with salvaging the country from the brink of economic and security collapse and called for all patriots of the country to stand behind the President if we are really serious about nation building. It also acknowledged the work of former President Buhari in the fight against crude oil theft at a time when the nation’s hydrocarbon output had suffered immensely from criminal assaults.

The spokesperson for the group Adewale Balogun singled out TANTITA Security Company and the NNPCL respectively for the courageous, effective and reliable services it has offered to protect the nation’s hydrocarbon assets from the criminal menace of crude oil thieves and noted the successes recorded thus far;

* The arrest of the MT KALI is about the 7th of such vessels engaged in crude oil theft in the last one year

* That from a production low of about 500,000 barrels of crude oil the pendulum swings between 2,000,000 barrels a day now, a testament to the success of the federal government, NNPCL and TANTITA Security Company collaborations and efforts respectively.

* Nigeria is now back to number one position in the OPEC production quota for Africa.

* NNPCL did announced record profits for the first time in years as crude oil theft had negatively impacted its operations hitherto.

* Increased Forex earnings for the federal government of Nigeria as a result of increase in crude oil production.

* Equipping the federal and state governments respectively with the needed financial wherewithal to finance development projects and securing the social contract with the citizenry.

* A gradual return of investors confidence in the oil and gas sector.

* A cleaner and resuscitating environment as it is being attested to by the people in the oil producing communities in the Niger Delta.

* A great drop in the crime rate in the Niger Delta as a lot of youth are engaged by TANTITA Pipeline Security and Surveillance Company.

The group expressed dismay to the statements credited to the Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri over the contracting of the pipeline surveillance and security contract, it said the governor should know better as a member of NEC (National Economic Council) the benefits of engaging private security contractors as exemplified by the patriotic and efficient work of TANTITA Pipeline Security and Surveillance Company. it said the Bayelsa State Governor cannot at the same time be calling for the cancellation of the contracts of private security contractors in the oil and gas sector and equally at the same breath also be calling for a decentralisation for the same contract to include others, the group said the governor’s position is ambiguous, contradictory and flawed, the group posited that “One who comes into equity must do so with clean hands” It urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the management of the NNPCL not to listen to such dubious comments emanating from certain quarters that ordinarily and understandably should have been supportive of the federal government and NNPCL efforts in fighting the menace of crude oil theft. It said the loss of the criminal mafia engaged in crude oil theft is the gain of the federal government and Nigerians as the fight against the crude oil thieves has punctured holes in their pockets. It also said from records available capacity, integrity and other critical and strategic metrics and not political correctness were the tools used and guided the federal government and NNPCL respectively in awarding the pipeline surveillance contract to private security companies and that the government and NNPCL are vindicated thus far with the work of TANTITA Security Company.

The National Probity and Value for Nation Building Organisation also said fate must have played a cruel game with the Bayelsa State Governor, noting that hardly had the ink dried up in writing the governor’s statement criticising the pipeline surveillance and security contract to private security contractors and the MT KALI was caught stealing crude oil at the Pennington Oil Platform some kilometres away from the Bayelsa State sit of government, it said this must be very embarrassing to the State Governor and the Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral Ikechukwu Ogalla who was a guest of Governor Douye Diri at government house when he attacked the federal government collaborations with private security outfits guiding and securing the nation’s hydrocarbon assets.

It also said the filth lucre of the criminal business and economic sabotage of crude oil theft had meandered it way to unlikely places and people in high positions.

The group called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to display the will and be ruthless in the fight against crude oil theft no matter whose horse is gored and the resultant environmental destruction in the Niger Delta. It went further to suggest to the federal government to also introduce a security and theft metrics for oil and gas production in the producing states and that states caught wanting should be penalised and there should be deductions from the monthly FAAC( Federal Account Allocation Committee) funds to states.

We commend the efforts of the federal government and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, NNPCL, the NSA Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, TANTITA Pipeline Surveillance and Security Company and other private contractors, the Nigerian Army, The Nigerian Navy, the Nigerian Police Force, Nigeria Civil Defence and Security Corps (NCDSC), we believe as a nation we are up to the task to get rid of the the criminals gangs engaged in crude oil theft.