An Abuja-based company, Ezra Aero has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to resist the temptation of renewing the pipeline surveillance contract awarded by the immediate past administration of Muhammadu Buhari to Tantita Security Services , a company owned by former Niger Delta militant leader, Government Ekpemupolo popularly known as Tompolo.
This is just as the company noted that recent reports of oil theft in the Niger Delta region are subtle attempts to convince the new administration to renew the contract with Tantita.
In a letter dated August 23, 2003 addressed to President Tinubu by the Managing Director of the company, Mr Ezra Aero titled, “Petition Against the Renewal of Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited Multi-Million Dollar Pipeline Surveillance Contract,” the firm flayed what it called “Misleading media propaganda” against oil theft and empty barges and vessels burnt in Delta State as a ploy aimed “Renewing Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited and its associates multi-million-dollar Pipeline Surveillance Contract worth over $50million monthly (N37.5billion monthly).”
According to Aero, “Despite the billions of dollars spent by the federal government on war against crude oil theft, including Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited and its associate’s multi-million-dollar Pipeline Surveillance contract worth over $50million monthly (N37.5 billion monthly), there has been no significant increase in the volume of crude oil sales, rather it keeps plummeting in many areas.”
The crude oil pipelines and vessels loading points displayed on TV were allegedly constructed and operated by Mr. Government Oweizide Ekpemupolo (AKA Tompolo) prior to the Proclamation of Presidential Amnesty in 2009 by Late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua. Otherwise. given Tompolo’s public reputation, what sane person will spend hundreds of millions of naira and spend weeks and months to construct illegal crude oil pipelines to syphon crude oil into vessels and barges right in Tompolo’s backyard in the creeks of Delta State. Nigerians should not be deceived because crude oil bunkering was allegedly Tompolo’s main source of revenue prior to Amnesty in 2009.
The petition read in part, “These multi-billion-dollar Pipeline Surveillance Contract were for many years handled by the late Capt. Idahosa Wells Okunbo, fondly called Capt. Hosa. After his death, the former Minister of State for Petroleum, Timipre Sylva and the Gorup Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited Mele Kyari conspired with Mr. Government Oweizide Ekpemupolo (AKA Tompolo) to continue to defraud Nigerians using the misleading propaganda of their war against crude oil theft and pipeline surveillance contracts.
“They divided the over $1.3billion (N1 trillion) contracts, including the late Capt. Hosa’s contracts into the eastern corridor, central corridor, and the western corridor. They awarded the western corridor to Tompolo’s associated company in favour of Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited at the total negotiated contract sum of $370,807,173.00 for one year,
“The eastern corridor was awarded through the Olu of Warri Ogiame Atuwatse III associated company in favour of Ocean Marine Security Limited (OMS), for the sum of $370,807,173.00 only for One year, and Contract Ceiling cost of $152,107,065.00 bringing the Contract to a total sum of $522,914,238.00.
“The central corridor contract worth the same hundreds of millions of dollars which was for Bayelsa state was allegedly influenced away from Bayelsa indigenes by Timipre Sylva the then Minister of State Petroleum and was awarded to his proxy, Tompolo’s relative, Mr. Matthew Tonlagha from Delta state. Thus, Timipre Sylva deprived Bayelsa state indigenes of their share from the hundreds of millions of dollars in Pipeline Surveillance Contract which would have created thousands of jobs and increase the State’s revenues from taxation, hotel accommodation, transportation, food purchasing power of indigenes etc.”
That said, Aero added that those smiling to the banks today as a result of the multi-million contracts did very little in getting Tinubu elected in the February 25 Presidential election.
“These individuals and beneficiaries of the over $1.3billion (N1trillion) contracts are all supporters of your opposition for which the INEC voting records in their little communities, wards, and Local Government areas will reveal, even though these individuals are all traditional rulers in their communities and local government areas.
In order to hedge their political future, they supported the opposition during the Presidential campaigns in anticipation of a Tinubu loss and used Mr. Tompolo to allegedly fund the opposition against President Tinubu with over $30million. Tompolo worked closely with the former Minister of State for Petroleum, Timipre Sylva, the Gorup Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited Mele Kyari, and Samuel Ogboku the Managing Director of the NDDC.
“After allegedly spending over $30million supporting the opposition and working against the Tinubu Presidential Campaign, ironically, they are still in position using the NNPCL, NDDC and the multi-million dollars pipeline surveillance contracts to reclaim more than the $30million U they spent in their failed attempt to defeat President Tinubu,” he said.
He further added that Tompolo allegedly nominated Mr. Joshua Maciver “who was recently exposed as a convicted sea pirate, terrorist and jailbreaker to Timipre Sylva as his running mate for the Bayelsa state November governorship polls with an alleged promise to give Timipre Sylva N3billion in support of his campaign.”
The petition continued, “We are highly disappointed that our beloved and highly respected National Security Adviser Nahu Ribadu was tricked by Tompolo informants embedded in the various government agencies including the NSA’s office into visiting Oporoza Gbaramatu Kingdom to visit him. Such visits and decisions undermine the office of the NSA.
“We are fully aware Tompolo uses the Niger Delta agitation as a means to enrich himself with Millions of Dollars (Billions of Naira) while his Ijaw people remain in abject poverty. He plants highly paid informants in the Presidency, NNPCL, NSA’s Office and other security and government agencies to promote his image as the voice of the Niger Delta region while denigrating and promoting falsehood against other Ex-militant Leaders from the region.
“For example, Mr. Goodluck Ebelo at the NSA’s office is an allegedly planted informant to promote Tompolo’s image to the NSA and to other highly placed officials, while denigrating and promoting falsehood against other Ex-militant Leaders from the region. Tompolo has planted informants in government agencies are lobbying to have his loyalist appointed as the Amnesty Programme’s Administrator such as Dennis Otuaro and others.
“May we remind you that during the 2023 Presidential campaign, major ex- militant leaders from the region met with Dr. Samuel Ogboku the Managing Director of the NDDC to sponsor certain campaign programmes for Bola Ahmed Tinubu across the Niger Delta States. Ogboku promised to get back to them but later dumped the idea after consulting with Chief Timipre Sylva. It is on record that these ex-militant leaders were sent to the NDDC MD Samuel Ogboku by the former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Umana O Umana to support Tinubu’s Presidential Campaign in the South-South region, but to the delegation’s surprise, the NDDC MD refused to support the campaign after allegedly speaking with his boss the former Minister, Timipre Sylva as they were counting on the opposition to defeat Tinubu.”