The Northern Youth Progressive Network (NYPN) has condemned what it termed sponsored media attacks on the pipeline surveillance contract the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited awarded to Tantita Security Services Limited.
The group, therefore, called on President Bola Tinubu to ignore the campaign of calumny against the security outfit.
The group had scandalously labelled Tantita’s founder, High Chief Government Ekpemupolo AKA Tompolo as an ex- militant with questionable character, branding him and his company as non state actors.
“To say the least, the Northern Youth Progressive Network finds this allegations as weity, false, scandalous and a calculated attempt by enemies of the State to undermine the peace process gradually returning to the once volatile oil industry in Nigeria before the engagement of Tantita Security outfit,” the NYPN said in a statement signed by its Convenerr, Comrade Bala Mohammed, on Thursday.
In the statement, titled, ‘Disregard calls for review of Pipeline Surveillance Contract by Federal Government, allegations of Non-State Actors against Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited’, the NYPN said: “We are not however unaware of the fact that the recent media attack and blackmail launched against Tompolo by a faceless group is clearly a sponsored handiwork of crude oil thieves who are hell bent on there neferrious activities but cannot deter him from the task of sanitising the oil and gas sector of the nation for greater economic prosperity.
“To state that Government decision to engage Tantita would compromise national security and empower the group to arm themselves, perpetuate violence and instability in the region is rather unfortunate.
“It is on record that Tompolo is not just a patriotic Nigerian but a human rights activist and advocate of the emancipation of the minorityDisregard calls for review of Pipeline Surveillance Contract by Federal Government, allegations of Non-State Actors against Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited.
“It is equally falacious to state that entrusting pipeline security to Tantita Security outfit undermines Nigeria’s sovereignty and international reputation, particularly within OPEC. This is because the activities of the organisation has rather enhanced the nation’s crude oil production from barely 500,000 barels per day to almost 2, 000,000 within a year.
“This feat has not been attained for over a decade due to activities of oil bunkers, insecurity and sabotage by some highly placed individuals and their collaborators.”
