N-Delta group says smear Campaigns against Tantita Security Won’t Stop Nigeria’s Economic Recovery
By FocalPoint Reports
A South South sociopolitical group, the Niger Delta Civil Society Forum (NDCSF) has strongly condemned what it described as coordinated and malicious social media attacks against Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited (TSSNL) and its leadership, saying that the campaign was merely a "desperate backlash by oil thieves and economic criminals whose illegal operations have been dismantled".
The group however maintained that the smear campaigns against Tantita and its management would not stop Nigeria’s ongoing economic recovery just as it called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to remain firm and "ignore the noise of disgruntled elements masquerading as concerned citizens".
These were contained in a detailed statement signed by the NDCSF Coordinator, Ezekiel Kagbala, copies of which were made available to journalists in Warri, Delta State on Thursday.
The group noted with concern that the sustained smear campaigns against Tantita and its Chairman, Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, was aimed at discrediting a security intervention that has significantly rescued Nigeria’s economy and restored sanity 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.
Ir 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”.
According to the statement, “these achievements are not opinions; they are measurable facts that directly reflect in national revenue and economic stability.”
NDCSF noted that "national crude oil output, which had dropped to about 1.1 million barrels per day before Tantita’s deployment has steadily improved, helping to stabilize government earnings and strengthen investor confidence in the oil and gas sector".
While commending Tompolo for what it described as "a major turnaround in maritime safety and environmental protection in the Niger Delta", the group noted with delight that "the once lawless creeks and waterways, previously dominated by sea pirates, oil thieves, and criminal gangs, have witnessed renewed security, safer navigation, and cleaner environments".
It said, “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 reduced significantly. This is a direct result of Tantita’s intelligence-driven operations and the leadership commitment of High Chief Government Ekpemupolo".
The NDCSF accused sponsors of the smear campaigns of being “beneficiaries of chaos” whose objective is to weaken enforcement, sabotage progress, and drag Nigeria back to the dark days of rampant vandalism, piracy, and economic hemorrhage.
The group 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 group therefore called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to remain firm and "ignore the noise of disgruntled elements masquerading as concerned citizens".
“The criminals are angry because their business has been shut down. That anger explains the propaganda. Tantita’s work must be protected, not politicised,” NDCSF stated emphasizing that progress will always attract enemies but urged Nigerians to stand with initiatives that are delivering tangible results.
“Nigeria must choose progress over propaganda, national interest over criminal sympathy, and economic recovery over sabotage,” the statement concluded.
