Niger Delta Group Condemns NASS Vote of Confidence on Tantita Security
The United Niger Delta Congress (UNDC) has strongly condemned the National Assembly's vote of confidence on Tantita Security Services Ltd regarding pipeline surveillance contracts. In a statement issued on Tuesday, the group described this action as unconstitutional and a direct violation of existing laws, arguing that it undermines the legislative body's proper role.
Constitutional and Legal Concerns Raised
Signed by UNDC President Comrade Julius Malam-Obi and Secretary General Hon Emaluji, the statement emphasized that the legislature lacks the constitutional mandate to award, renew, or endorse pipeline surveillance contracts. According to the UNDC, the National Assembly's role is strictly limited to lawmaking and oversight, not executive implementation or conferring legitimacy on private commercial arrangements.
The group highlighted that this decision contradicts key provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), particularly Section 257, which recognizes host communities as critical stakeholders in protecting oil and gas assets within their territories. They warned that ignoring this provision could lead to significant unrest in the region.
Economic Exclusion and Security Threats
The UNDC argued that the alleged concentration of over N2.1 trillion in pipeline surveillance contracts in the hands of a few firms amounts to economic exclusion. This, they said, poses a serious threat to peace and stability in the Niger Delta. Assigning surveillance responsibilities to external entities while excluding indigenous communities could trigger regional unrest, as it denies local populations their rightful economic opportunities.
Furthermore, the group questioned the effectiveness of the current arrangement, citing the recent interception of a vessel laden with crude oil valued at over $300 million by the Joint Task Force (JTF), rather than the contracted surveillance firms. This incident has raised concerns about the value and efficiency of the existing surveillance structure.
Decentralization and Increased Oil Production
The UNDC observed that since agitation for decentralizing and restructuring the pipeline surveillance framework gained traction, Nigeria's daily oil production has reportedly risen to about 1.84 million barrels per day, up from the 1.3-1.4 million barrels it had been for years. They suggested that this development points to troubling possibilities regarding Tantita's performance.
"This development suggests one of two troubling possibilities: either Tantita has been grossly ineffective in the discharge of its duties, or it has, at best, been negligent, and at worst, allegedly complicit in the persistence of oil theft," the group stated.
Call for Equity and Justice
The UNDC argued that decentralizing pipeline surveillance contracts to host communities would enhance accountability, improve intelligence gathering, and strengthen the fight against oil theft. They emphasized that the Niger Delta struggle has always been about justice, dignity, and equitable participation, not replacing external marginalization with internal domination.
"The Niger Delta struggle was never fought to replace external marginalization with internal domination. It has always been about justice, dignity, and equitable participation," the group asserted. They warned that any attempt to corner opportunities that rightfully belong to the collective people of the region is a betrayal of that struggle.
Vote of No Confidence and Further Actions
In response to recent interceptions, including a vessel worth N4 billion by the Nigerian Navy in areas controlled by Tantita Security Services and Maton Engineering, the UNDC passed a total vote of no confidence on both companies. They called for strict compliance with the PIA, dismantling monopolistic arrangements, and decentralizing contracts to reflect fairness, competence, and ethnic equity.
The group urged an end to all forms of economic exclusion and internal domination within the Niger Delta, stating that the path to peace is justice and the foundation of stability is inclusion. They concluded with a stark warning: "If those in authority truly seek to avoid setting the Niger Delta on fire, the solution is simple and immediate: uphold the rule of law, respect the rights of Host Communities in their respective ethnic nations, dismantle monopolies, and embrace equity. Anything less will be seen for what it is, a conscious decision to deepen injustice and provoke avoidable tension."
