Eshanekpe Israel, Mayor of Urhoboland and Head of the Association of Urhobo Mayoral Family Crown (AUMFC), has raised concerns over alleged moves to undermine the oil pipeline surveillance contract awarded to Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited (TSSNL), warning that any tampering with the deal could threaten peace in the region, jeopardize youth employment, and reverse recent gains in the fight against crude oil theft.
He called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene in what he described as a brewing crisis in the Niger Delta over the oil pipelines surveillance contract awarded to Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited (TSSNL).
In a statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday, Akpodoro accused Bayo Ojulari, Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), of attempting to undermine the security contract managed by ex-militant leader, High Chief Government Ekpemupolo, also known as Tompolo.
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According to Akpodoro, the Tantita contract has significantly reduced oil theft, restored peace in the Niger Delta creeks, and provided sustainable employment for thousands of youths in the region.
He warned that any move to tinker with the agreement could destabilise the fragile peace and reverse the gains recorded since its introduction.
“Mr. Ojulari came into office with a mission to distort the peace and security of our region.
“Any attempt to tamper with the Tantita contract, which has positively impacted the lives of our people, will be aggressively resisted”, the Mayor alleged.
The Urhobo leader further accused the NNPCL GCEO of stoking disaffection against President Tinubu, claiming that his alleged highhandedness and recent actions, including the sacking of over 4,000 staff of the corporation, could damage the administration’s reputation ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He also suggested that Ojulari’s management style raises suspicion of working against the President’s goodwill in the Niger Delta.
“Rather than consolidating on the achievements of his predecessor, Mele Kyari, who initiated the Tantita contract, Ojulari appears determined to erode the progress made in fighting oil theft,” Akpodoro said.
The Mayor described TSSNL as the “flagship of safety and security in Nigeria’s waterways,” adding that its model has become a reference point for securing oil infrastructure across sub-Saharan Africa.
He alleged that Ojulari has marginalised Niger Delta leaders in the management structure of the NNPCL and accused him of victimising Roland Ewubare, the Chief Operating Officer of the company.
“When the contract was shared among multiple contractors, oil theft heightened. It was only after it was consolidated under Tantita that Nigeria recorded major progress. Ojulari should allow peace to reign,” he declared.
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Akpodoro also hinted at alleged corruption within the Ojulari-led NNPCL, urging anti-graft agencies to investigate.
However, he stressed that his main concern remains the protection of the surveillance contract, which he said is critical to the economy and security of the Niger Delta.
He therefore urged President Tinubu to “call Ojulari to order” and ensure that the existing pipeline surveillance structure remains intact for the sake of peace, security, and national economic stability.
