Niger Delta Region’s Ongoing Struggles And The Success Of TSSNL In Combating Oil Theft As Parties Urge Uninterrupted Pipeline Surveillance Contract....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The Niger Delta region has been a recurrent topic in the media, frequently for negative reasons. Although the area’s oil contributes nearly 90 percent of Nigeria’s export value, it remains one of the country’s most underdeveloped regions, according to economic analysts.

Due to what experts describe as “perceived structural injustices,” agitation and conflicts have sprung up across the Niger Delta region. The youth in these areas are dissatisfied with the inadequate infrastructure development and feel marginalized in regional affairs. While the youth spearheaded these agitations, they lacked support from the elders who were dismayed by the region’s neglect, despite its significant contributions to the nation’s economic growth. The elders’ support was often implicit.

The Niger Delta region gained notoriety for its agitation for resource control and armed conflicts in the mid-1990s. To address these issues, former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration established the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) in 2000. The creation of the Commission aimed to quell violence and promote socio-economic development in the area.

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Exacerbated by poverty, political disenfranchisement, and the widespread availability of firearms, armed groups fought for control over illegally acquired oil, known as “bunkering,” and engaged in violent activities against oil companies.

To address these challenges, the Obasanjo administration also introduced the Niger Delta Peace and Security Strategy to complement the Niger Delta Master Plan, which outlined economic and social development plans for the region.

However, it was President Musa Yar’dua who, in 2009, established the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) for the youth and people of the Niger Delta. This program aimed to alleviate the concerns of the region’s growing population, particularly regarding material and human development and to curb armed conflicts.

Another reason for establishing the PAP by Yar’dua was the need to integrate the region’s people, whose wealth was crucial to Nigeria’s economy, into the nation’s political landscape and possibly put an end to years of alleged marginalization.

The program was comprehensive and endeared President Yar’dua to the Niger Delta’s indigenous population, who viewed him as someone genuinely concerned about their well-being. They believed that he recognized the necessity of appeasing their grievances to calm tensions. The program, in their view, was largely successful.

However, during this time, oil theft reached its peak as an illicit trade, and some individuals within the corridors of power were allegedly involved. The situation worsened when the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) emerged in 2016, wreaking havoc on the country’s oil infrastructure.

The Nigerian military, in collaboration with groups in the region, particularly the National Coalition of Niger Delta Ex-agitators (NCNDE-A), led by Eshanekpe Israel (also known as Akpodoro), restored peace to the region.

Oil theft persisted, largely due to an international network of criminals and local actors, including petroleum marketers who engaged in the theft of petroleum products.

The Group Executive Officer of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation Nigeria Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, introduced the idea of involving private security firms in the surveillance and security of oil facilities, paving the way for a new approach in the upstream and downstream oil industry.

Tantita Security Service Nigeria Limited (TSSNL), established by Chief Government Ekpemukpolo (also known as Tompolo), took charge of the surveillance and security of oil facilities in the Western axis of the Nigerian Coastal region. The firm implemented a community-based approach, which was highly effective and contrasted with the alleged sabotage perpetrated by security agencies.

TSSNL significantly disrupted the operations of oil thieves in the region. However, these achievements have not been well received by those involved in oil theft, who aim to undermine the authority that awarded the surveillance security contract to Tompolo.

Oil thieves are unhappy with TSSNL, as it thwarts their illicit activities. Agents of oil theft have attempted to discredit and undermine Kyari’s stance against entitlement.

Recently, a group of young men under the banner of RNDA held a rally in Warri, threatening Kyari’s removal due to his no-nonsense approach. This group, which had previously taken up arms against the government in 2016, now seeks Kyari’s ousting, despite his efforts to rebuild what they had destroyed in the Niger Delta region.

It is crucial for the people of the Niger Delta not to allow self-serving groups to incite armed conflict against the government. Diplomacy and peaceful engagement should be the primary means of addressing their concerns, as is practiced in civilized nations.

No government should award security contracts to unpatriotic groups with a history of anarchy and economic sabotage. Integrity and credibility are essential in any national endeavor. Now is the time for introspection and for rebuilding values and character. Threats should not be used as a means to make demands from the government.

The government should consider renewing and expanding the TSSNL contract to cover additional coastal areas and engage more youths in productive activities to combat drug abuse. Chaos is detrimental to the development of any region or country. The RNDA should encourage its members to work for peace and stability in the Niger Delta. Everyone should focus on promoting peace and tranquility, and attempts to destabilize the national economy should be discouraged.