Pipelines Protection: Tompolo’s Men Prevent Youth Protest Over Exclusion
2 min read
by Our Correspondent
Members of the Tantita Security Service owned by High Chief Government Ekpemupolo alias Tompolo on Tuesday, October 11th, prevented a mild protest by some youths in Bayelsa State over an alleged non-inclusion in the ongoing execution of the N4 billion crude oil pipeline Surveillance contract awarded by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited.
Our correspondent learnt that the demonstrators, numbering over a hundred, had on Tuesday disrupted vehicular traffic along the Imiringi road leading to the residence of the State Coordinator of Tantita Security Services Nig, Ltd in Bayelsa State.
They accused the coordinator, Joshua Maciver of allegedly not including them in the process of monitoring and stopping illegal bunkering and pipeline vandalism in the State.
According to the protesters, who were identified as members of the 2nd and 3rd phase beneficiaries of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), there is a need for inclusion in the surveillance contract.
Addressing the aggrieved youths, Mr Timi-Igoli Timi, the Chief of Staff to the State Coordinator of Tantita Security Services Nig, Ltd, (Bayelsa State Operations), Great Joshua MacIver assured them that the recruitment process into the crude oil pipeline Surveillance job is still on going.
He called on the Youths to always exercise patience , reiterating that the recruitment exercise is an all-inclusive one aimed at capturing all relevant stakeholders in the various catchment areas across the state.
He pointed out that the recruitment exercise will not only capture 2nd and 3rd phase Amnesty beneficiaries but also accommodate Persons Living with Disabilities.
Timi Igoli also urged them to always seek proper information before embarking on any protest, describing the protest as ill-conceived and lacking in proper communication.
He also reiterated that all stakeholders have already been mapped out for different time frames and will all be attended to by the end of October, 2022.
We also gathered that the leadership of Tantita Security Services Ltd in the state had in the last few weeks embarked on consultation and monitoring visits to various communities in the state including Ikebiri1, 2 and 3, Ikenghebiri, Ondewari, Okpotuwari, Ombugbene in Southern Ijaw Local Government area and Aleibiri and Tuomo communities in Ekeremor Local Government area of the State.
