Udengs Eradiri, former President of Ijaw Youths Council Worldwide, has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to ignore calls to cancel the pipeline security contract awarded to Tantita Security Services, owned by Government Ekpemupolo, also known as Tompolo. He described the calls as driven by enemies of Nigeria and conflict merchants seeking to return violence and oil theft to the region.

Eradiri, a former Bayelsa State Commissioner for Youths and Environment, praised Tantita’s contract for stabilizing the Niger Delta, noting that the firm helped reduce conflicts that previously hindered oil production. He criticized those opposing the contract, calling it shocking that jealousy and hatred motivated calls against Tompolo.

Meanwhile, a civil society group, Global Network for Good Governance and Rights Concern Initiative, demanded the immediate termination of the multi-billion naira contract, arguing that private firms managing oil security undermine the constitutional role of Nigeria’s armed forces, including the Navy.

The group, led by Dennis Mene, also questioned the transparency of the contract worth about N48 billion annually, raising concerns over whether it went through an open and competitive bidding process. They further claimed that concentrating such contracts within a single ethnic group has fueled resentment among the Isoko, Kalabari, and Itsekiri communities.

According to the organisation, the pipeline protection job should be equitably distributed to avoid ethnic tension and ensure all stakeholders in the Niger Delta benefit from national resource protection.

Eradiri insisted that the Tinubu administration should continue to uphold the Tantita contract, highlighting its positive impact on security, peace, and oil production in the Niger Delta, urging the government not to succumb to pressure from vested interests.