“Your brothers and chiefs are operating contracts and eating in Ijaw areas for decades – 10, 15, 20, 35 years AND EVEN TODAY. Ijaws did not deprive them… But the only one that Fate gave to an Ijaw man, you say he should not work in your areas? How fair is that?”
Prominent Ijaw elder, Chief Larry O. Adanike, has issued a strong statement cautioning Urhobo leaders and Itsekiris against what he describes as an unjust and dangerous campaign to undermine Tantita Security Services, a pipeline surveillance company led by an Ijaw son from Gbaramatu and Ogulagha Kingdoms.
Chief Adanike drew attention to what he called selective agitation, pointing out that similar contracts had been previously managed for years in Urhobo territories by non-Ijaw contractors, such as the late Capt. Hosa Okunbo from Edo State, with no protest or public resistance.
He further referenced the current operations of Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL), allegedly linked to the Olu of Warri, which is said to have surveillance coverage even greater than Tantita, yet continues to operate peacefully in Ijaw areas with the support and cooperation of Ijaw communities.
Chief Adanike warned that ethnic-driven resistance to Tantita could disrupt the longstanding inter-ethnic unity and cooperation within Delta State, especially as Ijaw communities have never resisted or sabotaged the operations of Urhobo or Isoko contractors working in Ijaw territories.
Adanike stated that under Tantita’s current leadership, pipeline vandalism and oil theft have drastically reduced, and Nigeria’s oil production has significantly risen to 1.8 million barrels per day, from the previous low of 650,000 barrels.
He concluded by urging Urhobo and Itsekiri leaders to rethink their stance, warning that the growing hostility toward Tantita could provoke retaliatory actions that would further damage regional harmony.
“When the Security Surveillance Jobs were awarded by NAPPIMS through settlors like SPDC decades ago, it was Frontline Urhobo Contractors like Chief Ubiebi from Ughelli axis that handled all major Security and Maintenance contracts for decades in Ijaw areas of Forcados (Ogulagha) and Escravos (Gbaramatu), Tunu, Beniseide (Ojobo) Egbema-Angalabiri (Bayelsa) Etc…”
FULL STATEMENT BY CHIEF LARRY O. ADANIKE:
“To the Urhobo Leaders, The Urhobos were in this State when Capt. Hosa from Benin / Edo State was in charge of this Contract over their Urhobo areas consecutively for about 8 years… There were still massive Pipelines Vandalization and massive Stealing of Crude Oil, accompanied with despoilation of the Environment of host communities…
Our Daily Oil production fell very low to 650,000 barrels per day. And some Oil Companies could not pump Crude from their Flow stations through Pipelines to Export Terminals for Oil export because over 85% of the Product will be Stolen through hundreds of Breaches along the Pipelines Stretch… There was no protest from Urhobos, even though they had organized Platforms like today.
“Even now after the death of Capt Hosa, his inlaw who helped ran the Contract for his father in-law, the current Olu of Warri still holds acreages far more than that of Tantita Security Services, which covers Ijaw areas of Bayelsa and Rivers, and maybe Imo/ Akwa Ibom.
“Today people are sponsoring Itsekiris to protest against the Ijaw man’s Company, asking for the withdrawal of Tantita Security Job which Tantita is executing very very competently – such that we no longer have Pipeline Vandalization and Oil theft, and our Oil Production has improved tremendously up to at least 1.8m Million Barrels per day. Or they are seeking to deny Tantita access to Itsekiri communities. Now the Urhobo are saying the same thing.
Greed and Envy lots of time seem to forget Reason… This will not help the cause of unity amongst the tribes in Delta State.”
“When the Security Surveillance Jobs were awarded by NAPPIMS through settlors like SPDC decades ago, it was Frontline Urhobo Contractors like Chief Ubiebi from Ughelli axis that handled all major Security and Maintenance contracts for decades in Ijaw areas of Forcados (Ogulagha) and Escravos (Gbaramatu), Tunu, Beniseide (Ojobo) Egbema-Angalabiri (Bayelsa) Etc…”
“Some other Urhobo and Isoko Contractors who held sway then in major engineering and EPIC Construction contracts were: Eruben Ltd., SJ Jones, SAMOT Ltd, Temile & Sons (Itsekiri).”
“Till today NAPPIMS major maintenance and EPIC Contracts are being executed in Ijaw Areas by well known Urhobo and Isoko Contractors: Macharry Ltd., De-Wayles, Chief Bernard Edewor, etc., pushing Ijaw contractors like High Chief Tunde Smooth out of his well known Marine Equipment Business.”
“But No Ijaw Communities, either collectively or individually have protested against, undermined or frustrated these Urhobo or Isoko Contractors or sought to expel them from Ijaw Land.”
“Similarly, no Ijaw Communities are protesting and fighting the Olu of Warri’s Company – Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited – from executing its surveillance and Security Contract – exactly like Tantita’s – from doing his work in Ijaw Areas. Rather the Ijaw Communities are assisting and cooperating with the Olu’s PINL to successfully execute its work.”
“It is flowing from the Above, that I appeal to our Urhobo and Itsekiri brothers to be circumspect and think twice about this fight against Tantita. Because no one knows the aftermath.”
“Your brothers and chiefs are operating Contracts and eating in Ijaw Areas for decades (10, 15, 20, 35 years AND EVEN TODAY). Ijaws did not deprive them… But the only one that Fate gave to an Ijaw man, you say he should not work in your Areas? How fair is that?”
“The Chairman of Tantita is an Ijaw Leader from both Gbaramatu and Ogulagha Kingdoms, key Oil Producing Kingdoms with massive assets helping the Economy of Delta State and Nigeria.”
“So Ijaws should tell Macharry Ltd and De-Wayles owned by Urhobos to pull out of Ijaw Areas where they work Today too — since you don’t want Tantita owned by an Ijaw in your areas?”
“We have managed our unity and togetherness better than this. Who knows if after years, an Urhobo man will be given this work that Tantita Services is doing today? Will Ijaws now say that such contractor(s) should not work in Ijaw areas too? This is a dangerous trend that the Urhobos are starting. It is better they have a rethink, before it will force Ijaws to react with tit-for-tat.”
