Tantita Contract: Omo-Agege Threatens Legal Action, Denies Receiving Money

Isoko Nation alleges oil thieves behind ethnic agitations against Tantita  

Sylvester Idowu in Warri

Former Deputy President of the 9th Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege has threatened to take those behind a viral video accusing him of embezzling millions of naira allegedly earmarked for Urhobo youth through a pipeline surveillance contract the federal government awarded to Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited (TSSNL).

This is just as oil thieves as well as displaced desperate criminal networks are behind recent ethnic-based protests against the work of TSSNL in Isoko land in particular and Nigeria Delta region in general.

The Coalition of Isoko Patriots made up of professionals and leaders, president generals and Tantita coordinators in Isoko land at a media briefing in Ozoro, Isoko North Local Government Area of Delta State at weekend, said that Tantita is currently one of the highest employer of labour in Isoko nation.

Omo-Agege, in a statement issued by his Media Adviser, Mr. Sunny Areh, yesterday the Senator described the allegations as completely baseless, false and without merit.

“We’ve recently come across a viral video making the rounds on Facebook, Instagram,
and other social media platforms.”

“In it, one Diamond Dietanuru Osakoigho, known as Paranran, from Ughelli South Local Government Area in Delta State made some serious and unfounded accusations against Senator Omo-Agege, claiming he corruptly pocketed billions of Naira intended for Urhobo youth from Tantita Security Services Limited, a security company handling petroleum product pipeline surveillance contracts for Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) in the Niger Delta. These allegations are completely baseless, false and without merit.

“We want to emphasise that Senator Omo-Agege is not a security contractor and has no contractual or business dealings with Tantita, NNPCL, or any other entity regarding pipeline surveillance, and he has never received any financial benefits from them for pipeline security surveillance services,” he added.

The statement, unequivocally, condemned the video, noting that the outrageous claims were nothing but malicious lies, crafted to tarnish Senator Omo-Agege’s reputation and undermine his political career. 

“It’s clear that Paranran’s statements are fabricated, aimed at stirring up animosity among the public, particularly the Urhobo youth, against Senator Omo-Agege. His attempts to manipulate the truth for a nefarious political agenda will not prevail, as the Urhobo people recognise Senator Omo-Agege’s dedication to their welfare. 

“Furthermore, this is not the first instance of Paranran making false allegations against Senator Omo-Agege. Previously, counsel was advised not to pursue legal actions against him, considering his status as a constituent. However, given the persistence and escalation of these baseless attacks, it has become clear that leniency has been misconstrued as weakness,” it stated. 

After enduring baseless attacks for far too long, Senator Omo-Agege said he would no longer stand for “these outrageous falsehoods. We are prepared to take all necessary legal actions to hold Paranran, his publishers, re-publishers, and his backers accountable. 

Meanwhile, oil thieves as well as displaced desperate criminal networks are behind recent ethnic-based protests against the work of Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited (TSSNL) in Isoko land in particular and Nigeria Delta region in general.

The Coalition of Isoko Patriots made up of professionals and leaders, president generals and Tantita coordinators in Isoko land at a media briefing in Ozoro, Isoko North Local Government Area of Delta State at weekend, said that Tantita is currently one of the highest employer of labour in Isoko nation.

The President-General of Irri Kingdom and Chairman of all Presidents-General of Isoko nation, Chief Idonis Uwubare, who spoke on behalf of others, described the agitations as a calculated distraction engineered by criminal cartels seeking to destabilise Nigeria’s oil security framework.

Chief Uwubare, who is the secretary of the President-Generals Forum in Delta State was flanked by Ovie Umuakpo, coordinator of Ellu Clan, said that the recent campaign against Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited (TSSNL)were orchestrated by oil theft syndicates, who were desperate to reclaim their lost illegal revenue streams.

According to them, “We feel compelled to alert the Nigerian public and security agencies to a calculated campaign, allegedly sponsored by crude oil theft syndicates operating within Isoko and neighbouring ethnic communities to undermine Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited and sabotage the ongoing oil facilities surveillance operations in Delta State.

Isoko Nation leaders added: “Intelligence reports revealed that recent protests are part of a wider agenda to dismantle the oil surveillance architecture put in place by Tantita, which they say has significantly reduced crude oil theft since its engagement in 2022.

“Prior to Tantita’s contract award, similar surveillance operations had been managed by some other surveillance companies largely without any recorded ethnic tension or protest.”

They noted that the irony of current ethnic agitators remaining silent during those previous periods, despite massive crude oil losses and widespread environmental damage was a thing to think about.

They spoke further, saying: “The silence of these ethnic agitators during that critical time is telling. While Nigeria’s economy bled profusely from oil theft, while our communities were militarised and turned into conflict zones, and while our ecosystem suffered irreversible damage, these so-called defenders of ethnic interest remained silent, even when the surveillance contracts were managed by non-Deltans.”

They maintained that Tantita’s emergence was a patriotic response to a national emergency, adding: “We commend the company’s alignment with the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), including its local content strategy. In OML 26 and OML 60, Tantita had already subcontracted surveillance operations to competent firms owned by Isoko indigenes, a gesture of inclusion and empowerment.

“Tantita is currently one of the largest employers of labour in the Isoko area and has contributed significantly to regional stability.

“We, therefore, find it grossly misleading for individuals who are either non-residents or are unfamiliar with the prevailing realities on ground in Isoko to make provocative calls for the split or cancellation of Tantita’s contract.

“Pipeline surveillance is just one of many contracts awarded by NNPCL. Should we now start excluding people on account of ethnicity?”

They condemned what they described as faceless groups acting as fronts for criminal networks aiming to revive the illegal oil bunkering economy, and emphasized that the positive impact of Tantita’s operations including reduced oil theft and increased national production are well known even to those previously involved in the criminal enterprise.

They said that current agitations are not borne out of patriotic interest but represent a desperate fight back by displaced criminal networks, adding: “Indeed, it is a clear case of corruption fighting back.”

In a firm appeal, the group called on the federal government, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), and relevant stakeholders to ignore the distractions and instead expand the scope of work for Tantita and double down on exposing and prosecuting economic saboteurs using ethnic fronts to derail security efforts.

Isoko Nation Leaders, through Wilfred Atunu, president-general of Otor Owhe, then moved a motion to pass a vote of confidence on Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited (TSSNL) seconded buy Morrister Idibra, deputy coordinator of Uzere Clan, and was passed with a voice vote and unanimously adopted.