The leadership of Kunukunuma Federated Community in the ancient Gbaramatu Kingdom, Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State, have commended legislators in the National Assembly for rejecting calls for the decentralisation of the pipeline surveillance contract currently handled by Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited, and for scoring the security firm owned by High Chief Government Oweizide Ekpemupolo alias Tompolo, high, in the execution of the contract.

In a statement signed by the Chairman and the Secretary of Kunukunuma, Captain Denkeden Friday and Pastor Tebiano Abraham, respectively, on Thursday, the community leaders urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to expedite action in renewing and extending the Tantita's contract.

They also noted that, the National Assembly, by kicking against the decentralisation of the pipeline surveillance contract, represented the stand of the general populace, especially genuine stakeholders in the oil rich region.

"As the saying goes, especially in a democratic setting, the majority vote wins. The National Assembly joined its voice in unison with those of genuine stakeholders in the oil-rich region to say 'No to decentralization', which we have all be clamouring against," the statement reads.

"We therefore commend the National Assembly Committees on Petroleum Resources' decision reached at the joint roundtable convened by the Senate and House of Representatives on Tuesday for analysing the facts, rather than listening to rhetorics that cannot be proven.

"We therefore call on His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, to immediately expedite action to not only renew the pipeline surveillance contract, but extend it, even to offshore, as Tantita has proven that it is more than capable to deliver," they added.

The Kunukunuma leadership called on other genuine stakeholders to sustain the clamour for a better Niger Delta, stressing that "enough us enough" of the propaganda of those it labelled as "enemies of the Niger Delta region".

"We must all stand together against anything that will take us back to the era of oil theft, pipeline vandalism, pollution, and more importantly, unemployment of our youths," they stressed.

It would be recalled that in recent months, several petitions have been submitted to the National Assembly and other government agencies by civil society groups, industry players and regional stakeholders, raising concerns over the concentration of surveillance responsibilities in a single private firm.

With the endorsement of Tantita by the National Assembly, it is believed by stakeholders that the decision will now pave the way for the Presidency to renew and even extend the pipeline surveillance contract of Tantita in Nigeria’s oil sector.

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