When at the twilight of the Major General Muhammadu Buhari’s led administration, in 2022, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited, NNPCL in addition to running as a public enterprise, the management led by the Chief Group Executive Officer, CGEO, Mele Kyari took a bold step to cede the surveillance security of the oil and gas pipelines, Nigerian people did not know the inherent advantages until now.
The kyari-led NNPCL had awarded the security contract of the Western axis of the Nigerian waters/land to the TSSNL for protection mostly against oil theft and sundry crimes in that marine space including other contractors whose names have been subsumed operationally by the capacity, dexterity, and technical know-how demonstrated by the security firm owned and managed by Chief Government Ekpemukpolo a.k.a Tompolo.
In the annals of maritime security in the Nigerian waterways and land, there was never a time the nation experienced a water-tight security as it is now with the TSSNL locking down the waters and land against criminal elements including the erstwhile untouchables, better still, the-above-the-laws. This, we saw in the lamentations and often times the confusions that enveloped the security apparatus who were stunned by the progress made by the TSSNL. It is now becoming less fashionable to engage in theft or vandalism.
One wonders why a private security firm like TSSNL became a thorn in the flesh of conventional security apparatus who were hitherto alleged to be neck-deep in the illicit business of crude oil theft and vandalism of oil facilities both on land and sea. It goes to show the courage the personnel of that firm brought into this national assignment to protect the nation’s oil wealth against economic saboteurs.
From the start of the security project, Tompolo who knew his onions went deep into the littoral and upland communities, engaged the youths and persons across the oil facilities bearing communities. He partitioned the facilities among the youths who are believed to be hugely remunerated by the security and what do we get? Optimal performance and this feat has carved a niche for the management of TSSNL, having succeeded where others failed.
Today, as the Mayor of Urhoboland, I can boastfully say Tompolo has brought value, honour and integrity to the Niger Delta region by making the world see the possibility and charismatic prowess of a Niger Deltan.
In its employ, TSSNL can boast of over a thousand able bodied youths who are causing the security to excel above its contemporaries in other territorial waters. Pirates are on the run, sea robbers are in shambles, vandals are threatened, crude adultrators have TSSNL knee on their necks while those who ferry stolen PMS/AGO are currently living in fear. The only way to go is TSSNL.
However, it is dangerous for the current administration to delay or tardily rather than acting swiftly to guide against the progress made by TSSNL being eroded due delay in the renewal of the security contract.
With the delay in the renewal of the TSSNL contract, most men who are engaged in the security job won’t be paid anymore, there would be redundancy amongst the workforce and this is very dangerous in the eyes of patriotic citizens and industry watchers.
To delay the renewal is to push the youths who are directly engaging the oil thieves into looking the other way and possibly relapse into crimes and criminalities. As a youth leader with cognate experience and knowledge of the Niger Delta terrain, I understand the feelings and yearnings of my people.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu should swiftly renew the TSSNL job so that we don’t fall back as nation into our immediate past where oil thieves see themselves as moguls. Renew the security surveillance contract and give TSSNL the latitude to mop up the criminal elements in our water ways and land. We are in the heat of the war against oil thieves and the earlier the contract is renewed the better for our hopes to be renewed.
TSSNL has done greatly and we have to support the war against malfeasants in the oil industry and doing so will enable the firm to efficiently deliver in its mandate of protecting our national patrimony with the resultant effect of shooting up our production quota among oil producing nations of the world.
The bulk, we know, stops at the President’s table, the NNPCL should not relent in its desire to bequeath a safe waterways to the nation where our national wealth will securely be protected. It’s a duty that joint venture partner owes our nation. The earlier it is done, the better for us all.
The Mayor of Urhoboland, Eshanakpe Israel a.k.a Akpodoro writes from Ughelli ,Delta State, South-South Nigeria
