A frontline traditional ruler in Delta State and Ovie of Idjerhe kingdom, His Majesty, King Monday Arthur Whiskey, Udurhie I, has recommended the Chairman of Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited, a Federal Government-contracted private oil pipeline surveillance outfit, High Chief Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, for national honour “for his commitment and dedication to the war against crude oil theft in the Niger Delta region.”
The monarch said, “Tompolo deserves a national award for the feat he has achieved so far.”
The recommendation was made in a special call to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu by the Delta monarch at a press conference held in his palace in Idjerhe, Ethiope West Local Government Area of Delta State, on Monday.
Urging President Tinubu to confer a national honour on Tompolo, the traditional ruler noted that “1.8 million barrels of crude oil per day recently declared by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited was possible because of Tompolo’s efforts.”
He added, “The situation today is that Tompolo is singlehandedly fighting the oil cabals, who were siphoning the country’s oil if we look at it very critically.”
King Udurhie I also appealed to the Federal Government to increase and expand the project because “it is only the areas where Tantita is working that you have this very noble achievement.
The monarch then declared, “Tompolo needs commendation. He needs a national award. Nothing stops the President from inviting him to Abuja and conferring on him a national award, because he has done what Napoleon could not do.
“First and foremost, let me especially congratulate the staff and management of Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited led by its leader, High Chief (Dr.) Government Ekpemupolo for the battle against oil theft.
“From every available fact, it is now very clear that only the section being handled by Tompolo and his Tantita group are performing exceedingly well. So, we can say that Tompolo is not only protecting national installations, but he has gone the extra mile to take the highest risk that any Nigerian will take.
“The situation today is that Tompolo is singlehandedly fighting the oil cabals, the oil cabal that was siphoning the country’s oil.
“And if we look at it very critically, there are three major things that Tompolo’s Tantita is achieving today. One, the firm is working very hard to increase oil and gas production output for the Nigerian government. Before this job was given to Tantita, Nigeria’s production was less than one million barrels per day, and to bring on board an extra 800,000 barrels, and still working hard to get it to two million barrels per day.
“There are serious agencies saddled with the responsibility of protecting these installations. What did they do? They rather conspired with the oil thieves, and they started doing it as a business.
“Secondly, Tompolo is helping to restore our environment that has been criminally degraded from its natural state that today is supporting aquatic life and the growth of this environment, especially cleaner water.
“If you are used to this area before Tantita was given this job, you barely can see the water content, because everything is covered in black oil. However, aquatic lives are returning to their natural habitat as a result of the hard work of an individual, an individual who took it upon himself to be different. Other people were given the same job. What have they done?
“Thirdly, this Tantita Security Project is creating very serious employment opportunities for youths in the entire Niger Delta area and is exposing our youth to the deployment of high-tech facilities, because they are not using manual technology.
“I want to seriously appeal to the Federal Government to increase and expand this project. Because, looking at it critically, it is only the areas where Tantita is working that you have this very noble achievement.
“So there is no reason why I should not advocate for the expansion of the project so that we can get more able-bodied youth from the streets, they need to work. The Federal Government should, as a matter of urgency, begin to fund Tantita very regularly, because, you know, an idle mind is the devil’s workshop.
“Now that Tompolo has used his native sagacity to bring together the most dreaded youths in the region to be part of this programme, there is no reason why salaries should not be regular.
“Increase the workforce, regularize the workers’ salaries, the security contract has enhanced oil production and sustained environmental protection of the Niger Delta people, Tompolo deserves a national award for the feat he has achieved so far.”
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