Letter to Tinubu : Olu of Warri masterminded protest against Tompolo's Tantita, OPCSF alleges

Members of the Itsekiri Oil Producing Communities Forum (IOPCSF) have accused their Royal Father, the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwase III, of masterminding the protest against Chief Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo and his Tanitita Security Services Nigeria Limited.

In a letter to the President,  Senator Ahmed Bola Tinubu, the group alleged that; "Our revered monarch, the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwase III, was the mastermind and orchestrator of the cacophony, in collaboration with one of his allies, a notable oil thief".

According to the group, failed Surveillance contractors were behind the Lagos and Delta protests against Tanitita Security Services Nigeria Limited (TSSNL).

They also offered explanation on why the Olu of Warri's $3.9M monthly Trans- Forcados Pipeline Surveillance contract In the letter signed by David Aniretan ( (Chairman) and Oritsejolomi Julius ( Publicity Secretary), they took their monarch, His Royal Majesty, Ogiame Atuwase III, the Olu of Warri, took him to the cleaners, saying that "Despite the $3.9M the Royal Father draws every month, many of us his subjects are in glaring want and abject poverty, while His Majesty   rides on the latest brands of limousines. Our own royal father is only  concerned about himself and his clique of Lagos boys. We are not factored in his activities".

Statement in full: We are writing this open letter to you on behalf of  Concerned Itsekiris of Delta state and most of us are among the over 12,000 Itsekiri workforce  of a private pipelines surveillance company, Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited (TSSNL) operated by Chief Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo.

It is obvious and now an open secret that series of protests in Lagos and some parts of Itsekiri axis of Delta state to denounce and discredit Tantita Security Services Nig. Limited and its promoter Chief Government Ekpemupolo, aka Tompolo, were sponsored by rivals who bungled their pipelines surveillance contracts and had their jobs terminated by the NNPCL.

Those who carried placards were a rented crowd of gullible Itsekiri and non Itsekiris.

In fact, are Itsekiri resident in Lagos kept in one place to be easily herded for a protest?

 It was all a charade.

Our revered monarch, the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwase III, was the mastermind and orchestrator of the cacophony, in collaboration with one of his allies, a notable oil thief.

The Olu of Warri's pipelines surveillance contract was among those terminated by the Federal Government for non performance. He is dragging Tantita because part of the areas under the supervision of his company - Pipelines Infrastructures Nigeria Limited (PINL) were given to Tantita, Tompolo's security firm.

For those without a clue, it is well to give some background. 

As a major trunkline, the Trans-Forcados Pipelines system carries  between 200,000 to 240,000 barrels of crude oil per day. It is the largest network of pipelines in the Niger Delta, second only to the Bonny Oil Pipeline system.

It serves the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC), Seplat Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) and Shoreline National Resources (SNR) in the routing of crude for export and domestic services.

The contract for the surveillance and protection of this all important federal government oil assets was awarded to Pipelines Infrastructures Nigeria Limited (PINL), owned and operated by the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse III.

The Olu of Warri's contract was recently terminated by the NNPCL for dereliction of responsibilities, negligence and incompetence. The areas under the company's sphere of influence suffered frequent vandalization of crude carrying pipelines - breaches that climaxed in uninterrupted oil theft, that led to billions of dollars losses in export revenue for the federal government. 

Yet the royal father pretended all was well. The federal government was however not oblivious to the lapses of PINL, owned by the Olu. Having no other alternative nor option, the hammer fell - the Olu's contract was terminated.

The national interest cannot differ to individual interest, be they royal.

In performance appraisal - the NNPCL oversees the operation of all private security organisations handling pipelines protection work. It found Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited, quite capable, serious and very responsible. The Trans - Forcados Pipelines network formerly handled by the Olu of Warri's PINL, after the termination, was awarded to Tantita.

No other reason suffices than the above, why the monarch mobilized his henchmen and foot soldiers - most of them based in Lagos, to crusade and demand the head of Tompolo and his affiliate company Tantita.

The fake tears of the Olu's hatchet men should not perturb the authority nor anyone. It is self serving.

Despite the $3.9M the Royal Father draws every month, many of us his subjects are in glaring want and abject poverty, while His Magesty  rides on the latest brands of limousines. 

No Itsekiri is in his employment, nor a sub - contractor to him. And no Itsekiri is even aware he presides over a mega contract that rewards him millions of dollars every month.

The $3.9 million monthly Trans - Forcados payment to the Olu of Warri's company, is not the same one as another non-performing multi-million dollars pipelines surveillance contract he also handles in Rivers State. That also is a monumental flop, another source of huge revenue loss to the federal government. 

Does the monarch want supervisory agencies to gloss over his lassitude and reward him with more contracts?

It was uncovered that the series of protest groups masquerading as Itsekiri indigenes to discredit Tantita and Tompolo and drum support for the reinstatement of Olu of Warri non-performing contracts were the fallouts of a meeting hosted by a notorious oil thief and ally of the Olu of Warri, in Lagos.

In the meeting, it was decided that both Itsekiri and non-Itsekiri youths should be sponsored to disrupt oil production in various parts of the Niger Delta. This was to pile pressure on Mr. President to reinstate the monarch's contract.

We wonder why His Majesty is taking out his frustrations on Tompolo?

Putting the blame of his contract termination and subsequent re-award to Tantita on Tompolo.

He knew fully well he failed to perform, hence the job agreement was repealed.

 Failure is never reinforced 

Tompolo's Tantita is serious about its work, unlike the Olu's PINL that was never on ground anywhere.

The operations of Tantita have been widely commended in and outside the shores of the country by stakeholders. Even the Nigerian Navy has acknowledged Tantita's competence.

Out of the over 25,000 workers engaged on the job by Tantita, over 12,000 are Itsekiri, who are the subjects of the Olu.

This is because quite a chunk of oil assets are domiciled in Itsekiri territory.

Aside that Tantita also engaged two prominent Itsekiri citizens, namely, Chief Ayirimi Emami and Mr. Godwin Ebosa as sub-contractors.

Ebosa and Emami also jet home with billions of Naira every month, courtesy of an Ijaw man, Tompolo.

While the Olu held the contract, how many of his subjects did he employed?

It's unfortunate that our royal father, who didn't consider the wellbeing of his subjects as sacrosanct  and create opportunities for them to live a decent life  has ignited a fight with Tompolo, who is our benefactor.

We emphasised here that Tompolo is our benefactor as he never discriminated against us in the management of his surveillance job.

Our own royal father is only  concerned about himself and his clique of Lagos boys. We are not factored in his activities.

Any attempt to bring Tantita and Tompolo would be tantamount to ruining the future of thousands of Itsekiri citizens working with Tantita.

Since life is about interest, we are not on the same page with our monarch on this. Our interest is paramount. We are with Tantita and Tompolo on this.

Despite the $3.9 million the Olu of Warri received every month, while he held the Trans - Forcados contract, the monarch never for a day thought about the magnitude, scope and requirements, needed to carryout a successful pipelines surveillance and protection work. 

To him, it was a "dash" or patronage from the federal government, for his ancestral stool. So he didn't feel obligated to doing anything.

In light of the above, we use this opportunity to appeal to the management of NNPCL to extend the gavel to the Olu's pipelines contracts in Rivers State, in case he fails to up his game by delivering on the job.

Like the Trans - Forcados Pipelines network - they are neglected and have incurred so much losses for the federal government? 

It is now the den of oil thieves in that part of the region.

The ongoing protests are mere abracadabra - stage managed to hoodwink the Federal Government to rescind its decision to terminate the Olu's contract.

President Tinubu must not succumb to the cheap antics. He must resist all forms of arm twisting to endorse mediocrity back in the system.

The ethnic card which the Olu now plays should be ignored.

Tompolo and Tantita, have worked with the Itsekiri without discrimination. He has empowered our brothers  as sub contractors and employed thousands as field operatives in the pipelines protection service.

The Olu of Warri should also open his books to unveil the Itsekiri beneficiaries of his surveillance contracts.

Our monarch cannot turn around to whip up sentiment against Tompolo after the termination of his undeserving job.

Our Itsekiri brothers should not make themselves available as ready tools of an insensitive monarch. 

Why has Ogiame suddenly realised that his subjects are important? It's because he has a business to protect.

The teeming Itsekiri youths that work with Tantita should remain steadfast and unintimidated by the Olu's threats and blackmail.

The 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic guarantees civic rights for every citizen.

They remain shielded, protected and untouchable by anyone, no matter how highly placed.

His Royal Majesty, Ogiame Atuwase III, the Olu of Warri, should devote all his time and energy to the unification of the Itsekiri Kingdom and subjects.

The Itsekiri Nation is presently bifurcated and polarized from diverse interests groups because of the monarch's highhandedness, and constant absenteeism from the kingdom. 

While he gallivants from one suite to the other at the 5 Star Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja, in pursuit of mega contracts - he has no intention of executing, the ancient Itsekiri ancestral Stool he fought so hard to seize.

The stool is denied his warmth.

SIGNED:

DAVID ANIRETAN
CHAIRMAN 

ORITSEJOLOMI JULIUS
PUBLICITY SECRETARY