According to ”NIVONEWS” The Chairman of the Izon Heritage Cultural Centre (ICHC), Apostle Bodmas Prince Kemepadei, has praised Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited (TSSNL) for its transformative role in boosting Nigeria’s oil output from a historic low of 650,000 barrels per day to over 1.8 million barrels per day.
In a statement issued Tuesday, Kemepadei expressed grave concern over what he described as an emerging wave of tribal agitation against Tantita’s operations, allegedly being instigated by certain Urhobo figures pushing for the termination of the surveillance contract in areas where the company has recorded clear successes.
He questioned the motives behind the backlash:
“Were Urhobos not working in Ijaw territories for decades without protest? Did Ijaw people ever resist Urhobo or Itsekiri contractors freely operating in core Ijaw oil communities?”
Kemepadei further asked whether the campaign to oust Tantita was driven by patriotism or sheer envy, noting that the company’s operations across Itsekiri and Urhobo regions were being carried out by local residents — not outsiders.
“Is it now that Tompolo is recording success that some people suddenly want the same contract, not to serve Nigeria, but to undermine him?” he asked.
He warned against igniting ethnic tension, pointing out that Ijaws have not protested the operation of Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL), a firm linked to the Olu of Warri, despite its surveillance contracts in Ijaw lands, including areas in Bayelsa.
Kemepadei also recalled the silence of Urhobo leaders during the tenure of Capt. Hosa Okunbo, an Edo indigene, who held similar contracts for over eight years—during which pipeline sabotage and oil theft flourished.
“Where were the protests then?” he asked. “Urhobo and Isoko contractors are still working in Ijaw lands today. No one is disrupting them. Why should Tompolo’s success now be met with hostility?”
He emphasized that High Chief Government Ekpemupolo (Tompolo) is deeply invested in his role, often seen on the frontlines supervising critical infrastructure protection, not living in luxury as critics may claim.
Kemepadei reminded stakeholders of a shared past when Urhobo firms like SJ Jones, SAMOT, Temile & Sons, and others dominated pipeline security, even in Ijaw-dominated territories like Escravos, Tunu, Ogulagha, and Beniseide — without objection.
“If we now adopt the logic that only locals should secure oil assets, we risk dismantling national unity and plunging the country into ethnic-driven chaos,” he warned.
He appealed for reason and unity, urging Urhobo and Itsekiri leaders to end their campaign against Tantita, noting that Nigeria’s fragile cohesion must be preserved above parochial interests.
“Today, it’s the Ijaw man under attack. Tomorrow, it could be an Urhobo or Itsekiri man. Would you accept such treatment in reverse? Let us put Nigeria first,” he urged.
On Tantita’s performance, Kemepadei stated that the firm’s efforts had significantly restored peace to the waterways, revived traditional livelihoods, and empowered over 40,000 people across the Niger Delta.
He concluded that TSSNL’s interventions had boosted federal revenue, uncovered illegal oil connections, improved production levels, and enhanced security and stability in the oil-rich region — a feat he said deserves national recognition, not tribal resentment.
”NIVONEWS REPORTS”
