A South-South socio-political group, the Niger Delta Civil Society Forum, has strongly condemned what it described as coordinated and malicious social media attacks against the Federal Government-contracted private pipeline surveillance outfit, Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited, and its leadership.
The forum noted with concern that those behind the attacks were oil thieves and economic criminals whose illegal operations had been dismantled.
The NDCSF also called on President Bola Tinubu to remain firm and ignore what it described as the noise of disgruntled elements masquerading as concerned citizens.
It maintained that smear campaigns against Tantita and its management would not stop Nigeria’s ongoing economic recovery.
These were contained in a statement signed by the NDCSF Coordinator, Ezekiel Kagbala, and made available to journalists in Warri, Delta State, on Thursday.
According to the forum, the sustained smear campaign against Tantita and its Chairman, Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, was aimed at discrediting a security intervention that had significantly rescued Nigeria’s economy and restored order to the Niger Delta waterways.
“Since Tantita’s engagement by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited in August 2022 to secure critical oil and gas infrastructure, the company has recorded unprecedented and verifiable successes in the fight against crude oil theft, pipeline vandalism and illegal bunkering,” the NDCSF said.
It added, “Crude oil theft has collapsed in major corridors, illegal pipeline connections have been dismantled, and Nigeria’s oil production has rebounded from historic lows to globally respectable levels.”
The statement continued, “These achievements are not opinions; they are measurable facts that directly reflect in national revenue and economic stability.
“National crude oil output, which had dropped to about 1.1 million barrels per day before Tantita’s deployment, has steadily improved, helping to stabilise government earnings and strengthen investor confidence in the oil and gas sector.”
While commending Ekpemupolo for what it described as a major turnaround in maritime safety and environmental protection in the Niger Delta, the forum said the once lawless creeks and waterways had witnessed improved security.
“The waterways of the Niger Delta are now safer for fishermen, traders and legitimate operators.
“Environmental degradation caused by illegal refining and crude spills has significantly reduced. This is a direct result of Tantita’s intelligence-driven operations and the leadership commitment of High Chief Government Ekpemupolo,” it said.
The NDCSF accused sponsors of the smear campaigns of being “beneficiaries of chaos,” whose objective was to weaken enforcement, sabotage progress and drag Nigeria back to the dark days of rampant vandalism, piracy and economic haemorrhage.
It warned that any attempt to undermine Tantita’s operations amounts to an attack on Nigeria’s national revenue, energy security and environmental sustainability, stressing that the country cannot afford a return to an era when oil theft thrived unchecked.
The forum therefore urged Tinubu to remain firm and ignore what it described as the propaganda of disgruntled elements.
“The criminals are angry because their business has been shut down. That anger explains the propaganda. Tantita’s work must be protected, not politicised,” the statement added.
It further urged Nigerians to support initiatives delivering tangible results.
“Nigeria must choose progress over propaganda, national interest over criminal sympathy and economic recovery over sabotage,” the statement concluded.
