Executive Director, Operations and Technical Services, Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited, Captain Warriedi Enisuoh, speaks to DELE OGUNYEMI of the Punch on the exploits of the Federal Government contracted private oil pipelines surveillance company
The CEO of Tantita, High Chief Government Ekpemupolo, aka Tompolo, has expressed worry over the dwindling fortunes of the national economy and called on Nigerians to guard against those he tagged ‘greedy saboteurs’ of the nation’s oil and gas economy. Can you please expatiate on this?
As you know, what brought about this pipeline surveillance contract is the massive economic sabotage when it comes to the area of crude oil theft, the oil which is the country’s main bread and butter. To have this bread and butter being harnessed illegally by a few hands is very dangerous to our economy. Not only is it dangerous, as you know, but it can also create insecurity for us as a nation. So, it was a very good thing that the Federal Government had to make a very bold decision. The current government also is continuing with that particular bold decision, and even bolder, to make sure that this whole thing is brought under very strict control so that we can all benefit from our natural resources, which God has given to us. So, that is the situation we found ourselves in.
Can you list some of the challenges Tantita has been encountering in the process of actualising its mandate?
There are quite a few challenges. Chief among the challenges is the fact that the illegality went on for quite a while and for people who had formed a lifestyle in such illegality to suddenly have that lifestyle taken away from them was a very big challenge. Some people just did not have anything to do except this, which is to tamper with pipelines. You know the socioeconomic challenges were there. One of the first things that our chairman had to deal with was this socioeconomic challenge. So, instead of going in first with the stick, he decided that the best was to go in with the carrot. In that way, he was able to bring a lot of people who were involved in it together to stop, and in exchange, they would be part of those to protect the pipelines. So, in that way, you don’t have any excuse in coming up to say, ‘I have nothing to do and I will go back to it’. No. You already have something to do, being part of the process that is going to help the country stand on its feet economically, especially for this particular sector.
Now, I will tell you a couple of things. Tantita has no fewer than 45,000 employees. You can imagine taking on that much in less than a year! Out of these 45,000 employees, we have older people who are more effective staying in their communities and watching their communities to make sure that people don’t come in to entice the younger ones to go and do something devilish. So, these are people who give us information. The married ones who left their families behind to go and do this job are being paid. Their wives are home, and they are also given stipends to look after the house, while their husbands are away. We have such. So, these are some of the things we had to do to ensure that the whole thing went well.
Another challenge we face is the fact that international ships continue to penetrate the Nigerian coast to get free oil. It is quite an expensive thing to pursue ships at sea, but we have never relented. As you can see from the records, we have caught quite several ships with the assistance of the Nigerian security forces, which have come together to ensure that we win this battle against those who are perpetrating illegalities against the country. Another major challenge is the fact that illegal oil bunkerers are also evolving technologically as we take the battle deep into their territories to fight the scourge. They are also becoming smarter by installing CCTV cameras in their areas of operation to give them early warnings so that they can ambush those who are coming to disrupt their illegal businesses.
However, we are also evolving with technology to beat them to it. Going forward, we have procured modern detection systems, including anti-intrusion detection systems that will automatically sound an alarm once anyone goes near the pipelines. It is not that we will catch you stealing oil; we will prevent you from stealing oil. So, we are also evolving with that.
The battle against oil theft recorded a major feat recently as two Federal High Courts sitting in Abuja ordered the forfeiture to the Federal Government of two bunkering vessels seized in joint operations by Tantita and other security agencies. How would you react to these landmark judgments?
We are very pleased because, as you know, it is the judiciary that binds everybody to one particular platform. Once the judiciary justifiably makes decisions, it deters people from doing things that are inimical to our well-being because the judiciary is naturally revered. We also know that once the judiciary gets involved, and also once the security agencies get involved, you know the country is functioning very well. This should send a very strong signal to the people that Tantita is not alone in this fight. It is entirely a Federal Government fight. So, it is a very welcome development in that direction.
With the development, what will be your message to Nigerians in this regard?
We want the Nigerian populace to know that the fight to protect the country’s economy is not in the hands of one person. It is in everybody’s hands. Security is for everybody. It is not for a particular set of people. If you secure Nigeria’s oil, your contribution will go a long way to enable the country to give you better services. Our message to Nigerians, therefore, is that if they see anything wrong they should try as much as possible to bring it to the fore. They can even call the police; they can call the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, or call us 24 hours a day on 08022199186. This number is open at all times. Members of the public can always call this number and wherever an incident is happening, we will always respond. We will come to the aid of anybody or pass the information to the nearest people concerned who will interdict the situation.
But the public should always remember that the protection of our national assets, especially when it comes to hydrocarbons, whether you are a fisherman or a sailor, anything you see isn’t just think it is Tantita’s responsibility alone. It is your responsibility to also make necessary reports to the Navy, to the civil defence, and Tantita, just as quoted in the telephone number above. The more people you tell the better.
How is the company planning to support the Federal Government to ensure that the daily crude oil production output continues to be on the increase and boost the nation’s revenue?
High Chief Tompolo and Tantita will continue to abide by the conditions in our contract and any other thing that is not contained in the contract but will enhance the country’s hydrocarbon security. But mind you, our job is just securing the assets and securing the inflow and outflow of things. So, our job will be to ensure that security is so tight that investors in the sector will have the confidence to be able to produce for export not to produce for thieves. This is key because one of the things that investors are worried about is that they are producing for thieves. So, if we can do our job so well, that we continue to ensure that there is maximum security for those investing in the sector; we hope that investors will also do their part by ensuring that their assets are up to date whether it is pipelines or things like that, so that they will continue to produce for the country.
As the chief priest of the Egbesu deity, how has Tompolo been mobilising the locals to actualise the mandates of his chieftaincies?
From what I have seen working with him, being a leader is not easy. He has used his leadership role, both spiritual and traditional, to galvanise the people to join forces and ensure that the government gets the maximum benefit of his leadership in this sector. In effect, most of the followers and many of his fans are on this mission that he is doing, to be more or less like a common cause in the sense that we must make progress. He has not in any way used his leadership for any personal gain other than for the gain of the Federal Government of Nigeria, and I think he deserves commendation for that. His line of religious leadership is ethical; ethical religious leadership is what I have admired for a long time. The basis of his religious leadership is for his people to do something for God, and that in the process of doing something for God, you will get your blessings. Punch
