Former governor of Cross Rivers State, Donald Duke and the immediate past president of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Amaju Pinnock, say in the onerous fight against crude oil theft in Nigeria, Tantita Security Services Nigeria Ltd (TSSNL) is a game changer.
TSSNL, a private security company owned by Chief Government Oweizide Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, was a recipient of the Vanguard Crude Oil Infrastructure Security Award of the year 2023 on Friday.
Pinnick reiterated the essence of recognising the achievements of Tompolo and the TSSNL in bringing stability to the region, especially in the oil industry.
According to him, “Every Niger Delta is very proud of what Tantita is doing basically. Its coming into the security industry, has helped to secure Nigeria’s oil installations.
“It has been a game changer and the Federal Government and everybody acknowledged that.”
On his part, former Governor Duke said, “TSSNL’s job of protecting the nation’s oil against theft has greatly increased oil production in the country which invariably, has increased the Federal Government’s revenue.
“Anybody who can bring value to our society is commendable, okay? And I have spoken to some Old Executives, Shell and all that, and they appreciate his work. And I am told that production has gone up as a result of his work.”
Recall that Nigeria’s low output in oil and gas occasioned by vices of pipeline vandalism and oil theft had made President Muhammadu Buhari award the Pipeline Security Contract to Tompolo’s Tantita in 2022.
It is public knowledge that between 2019 and 2020, the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) reports indicated losses of 42.248 million barrels ($2.772 billion) in 2019 and 53.056 million barrels ($ 2.21 billion) in 2020.
The efforts have paid off as Nigeria’s average rig count, an index of measuring activities in the upstream sector, rose year-on-year (YoY) by 62 per cent to 15 between June and October 2023, compared to nine recorded in the corresponding period of 2022.
Similarly, based on the performance of the company, President Bola Tinubu has also been encouraged to renew the contract, thus enabling TSSNL to continue its security operations in the oil-rich region.
Speaking at the Friday night Vanguard Award Ceremony at the Convention Centre of Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos, which had celebrities, politicians, business moguls, and other dignitaries in their number in attendance, Dr Paul Bebenimibo, media consultant to TSSNL, said that the award would spur the organisation into greater achievements.
Bebenimibo, who received the award on behalf of the company, said that TSSNL’s desire to attain two million barrels per day has further been catalysed by the flurry of awards given to the company in recognition of its work so far.
“We are elated and it’s a call to service, we are poised to do our best to sanitise the crude oil industry.
“Our message has always been that illegal oil bunkers and those that are involved in such activity should steer clear.
“They don’t have any place to hide and Tantita will come after them and make sure that our production gets to the peak and generates more money for the country,” he declared.