The founding father of Tantita Safety Companies Nigeria Restricted, Excessive Chief Authorities Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, says he’s continually dealing with risk to his life by the highly effective individuals behind oil theft within the nation.
In keeping with him, the oil thieves are highly effective individuals exterior of the Niger Delta.
Tompolo, talking at Oporoza, the headquarters of the Gbaramatu Kingdom, on Monday, alleged that some naval personnel, a couple of days in the past, forcefully attacked operatives of the personal outfit throughout the arrest of some suspected oil thieves alongside the Port-Harcourt creeks.
Talking throughout a working go to of the Nigerian Bar Affiliation nationwide government, led by its President, Afam Osigwe (SAN), to the oil-bearing group, Tompolo known as for synergy between the Navy and different safety outfits.
Tompolo famous that in the midst of the surveillance operations to spherical up crude oil barons, Tantita had stepped on toes and had turn into the goal of revenge missions.
He mentioned, “Whereas doing this work, we’ve stepped on plenty of toes of individuals over there in Lagos and Abuja. We’ve got stepped on plenty of toes. As I’m right here, after my courtroom circumstances, I can not journey wherever due to me and the important thing individuals (barons) combating this battle.
“If I need to journey to Abuja to go to you, I need to go together with safety. Even with two or three safety personnel, none of them are proud of me, and they’re now collaborating with prime gamers concerned in oil theft.
“Most instances, you see that Tantita Safety now has confrontations with the Navy and each well-meaning Nigerian is aware of the operate of the Nigerian Navy and Tantita, however no one needs to return out to face the reality.
“If we occur to arrest anyone now, we’d get a lawyer from Abuja, Lagos or Ibadan to do the case very effectively.”
Tompolo expressed fear that efforts to checkmate crude oil theft have been being sabotaged in some quarters.
“Some few days again, our individuals intercepted a vessel in Port Harcourt, the place the Nigerian Navy was capturing at Tantita Safety, with police, Division of State Companies and Nigeria Safety and Civil Defence Corps.
“We need to implore and beg you (NBA). You need to play on this current scenario, as a result of if we’re not cautious on this nation, possibly we is not going to have cash to do any affordable factor.
“All of us right here know that Nigeria is dealing with hardship. A bag of rice is over N100,000.
“We’re going to do our half domestically. However you (NBA) are there on the prime. If we make arrest immediately, legal professionals would stand on the opposite facet and this facet.
“Can any person come to load a vessel of 500 metric tonnes on this group? No one has that capability; the individual comes from Lagos, Abuja, or neighbouring nations.
“The person right here can be a water boy for the individuals in cost. That’s the one we’d arrest,” he mentioned.
Efforts by our correspondent to succeed in the Nigerian Navy spokesman, Commodore Aiwuyor Adams-Aliu, for feedback on the difficulty, have been unsuccessful on the time of submitting this report.
A feminine official within the Naval Public Relations Workplace who picked up phone calls from our reporter merely mentioned she “had been transferred to Lagos,” simply as she maintained that “Commodore Adams-Aliu is in the perfect place to react to the difficulty.”
Talking earlier throughout a courtesy name on the Pere of Gbaramatu kingdom, Oboro-Gbaraun II, in his palace, the NBA President expressed delight over the latest announcement from the Nigerian Nationwide Petroleum Firm Restricted that oil manufacturing had risen to 1.8 million barrels per day, with a promise to extend it as much as 2 million bpd by the top of this 12 months.
“If the oil manufacturing retains going up, it is going to profit all of us and the federal government will be capable of present for the wants of the individuals,” he said.
Consequently, the NBA president maintained that “there’s a have to stem the theft of our commonwealth.
“The combat in opposition to oil theft is extra fascinating now, greater than ever earlier than, as a result of Nigeria is borrowing a lot to fund its finances and can’t meet the wants of Nigerians.”
Whereas lamenting over steady borrowing by the Federal Authorities to fund the finances, the NBA President maintained that “if the leakages in oil manufacturing are effectively blocked, it is going to go a good distance in boosting the nation’s earnings.”
The NBA workforce additionally famous with concern that oil exploration actions within the Niger Delta had adversely impacted the area “as manifested within the environmental air pollution and degradation of many of the host communities.”
On this, the NBA President mentioned, “We resolved to make an on-the-scene evaluation of the oil-bearing communities to see the hardship they’re struggling.
“The NBA is within the problems with oil theft coupled with the results of environmental air pollution and environmental degradation because of oil exploration on the host communities.
“The irony is that these communities that bear the duties of the nation’s oil wealth don’t benefit from the wealth as many of the cities within the nation.”
He continued, “Our branches within the oil-bearing areas needs to be within the problems with oil theft which works on in lots of communities as a result of it has affected our nationwide economic system and likewise impacted negatively on the power of the federal government to ship the dividends of democracy to the individuals.
“It has additionally impacted negatively on our overseas reserves. It has adversely affected Nigeria’s capacity to fulfill its minimal OPEC quarter for oil manufacturing. We felt that the matter needs to be taken critically.
“We all know that Gbaramatu Kingdom performs host to an organization known as Tantita Safety Companies which has been working with the NNPCL and the Workplace of the Nationwide Safety Adviser.
“It has executed plenty of good work on the difficulty of pipeline safety and the difficulty of oil theft. We thought that it will be place for us to return, first to get first-hand data of how this battle has been fought, what the challenges approached, and the way the combat has helped enhance the Nigerian financial standing.”
The normal ruler of Gbaramatu kingdom, in response, known as for infrastructural growth of the host communities, noting that “presently, the federal government is much from us.”
He added, “I need to let that the presence of the federal government is even removed from us. All these you might be seeing is from the efforts of our elite, our massive boys.
“So we’re additionally calling on the federal government, we produce the oil, from our territory we feed the coffers of this nation. So they need to draw nearer to us and do the needful for us to additionally reciprocate.”
He particularly made a case for the institution of a Justice of the Peace’s courtroom within the Gbaramatu Kingdom simply as he additionally appealed to the management of the NBA to mentor members of the Gbaramatu Attorneys Affiliation to additional brighten their profession prospects within the authorized career.
“We’d like individuals like this to return to see issues right here. That is Gbaramatu. Prior to now, individuals have been making all types of allegations in opposition to Gbaramatu Kingdom, however now you might be right here.
“We at all times inform individuals, in case you are coming to Gbaramatu Kingdom, don’t be afraid.
“We’re working for the peace of the Niger Delta, extending fingers of fellowship to different kingdoms. Ijaw individuals stand for fact. We’re a peaceable individuals.
“At this time, I need to inform our lawmakers that the decide within the courtroom ought to conclude within the courtroom. However because the chairman right here, I need to lengthen this to you, I do know I’m not a lawyer or lawmaker, however earlier than concluding your judgments, whether it is wanted, possibly, a land case, it’s best to come to see for your self earlier than the ultimate judgment.”
