The Anti-Corruption and Integrity Forum has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to disregard what it described as blackmail and sponsored propaganda against ex-Niger Delta agitator, Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, over the oil pipeline surveillance contract awarded to Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited.
Chairman of the group, Comrade Prince Kpokpogri, made the call in an open letter addressed to the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.
Kpokpogri alleged that some individuals within and outside the Niger Delta were behind sustained media attacks against Tompolo and Tantita over demands for the decentralisation of the pipeline surveillance contract.
He described the campaign against the former militant leader as the handiwork of “subversive elements” and “fifth columnists” allegedly pursuing selfish interests.
According to him, while there was nothing wrong with calls for wider participation in pipeline surveillance operations, such demands should not translate into what he described as a coordinated campaign to discredit Tompolo.
Kpokpogri, who is publisher of Integrity Watchdog Magazine and a member of the Board of the International Human Rights Commission, highlighted Tompolo’s role during the Niger Delta struggle and the activities of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta.
He recalled that many lives were lost during the militancy era between 2006 and 2009, especially during military operations in Gbaramatu Kingdom, noting that Tompolo and his loyalists made significant sacrifices during the period.
The activist also credited Tantita Security Services with contributing to the reduction of crude oil theft and improving Nigeria’s oil production output.
“From oil production levels that once dropped below one million barrels per day to current improvements approaching 1.8 million barrels daily, the contribution of Tantita Security Services to national economic stability cannot be ignored,” he stated.
Kpokpogri further praised the company’s corporate social responsibility initiatives across the Niger Delta, including community empowerment, support for small businesses and infrastructural interventions.
He specifically commended Kestin Pondi and Matthew Tonlagha for allegedly supporting entrepreneurship and youth empowerment within and outside the region.
The group’s chairman questioned why critics of the current surveillance arrangement failed to raise similar concerns when pipeline security contracts were reportedly handled by other private operators, including the late Capt. Hosa Okunbo’s Ocean Marine Solutions Limited.
He urged Niger Deltans to support efforts aimed at combating crude oil theft and protecting critical oil infrastructure.
Kpokpogri also appealed to the Federal Government to sustain confidence in Tantita Security Services, citing the company’s experience and familiarity with the difficult riverine terrain of the Niger Delta.
