Itsekiri Activist, Comr. Tsaye Mene Demands Inclusivity in Niger Delta Pipeline Security Contracts

Prominent Niger Delta activist, respected voice for Itsekiri ethnic identity, and Convener of the Warri Reclamation Thrust, Comrade (Mrs.) Tsaye Mene, has joined the call for the decentralization of pipeline security. 

She argues that greater inclusion and sustainable peace, aligned with the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), are essential for the region.?Comrade Tsaye appealed to the Federal Government to urgently decentralize the pipeline surveillance contract currently held by Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited, particularly within Itsekiri homelands and territories.

She urged that the contract be awarded to competent Itsekiri individuals who possess the capacity to perform the job with professionalism and respect for host communities. She assured the President that such a move would eliminate illegal bunkering, especially high-sea activities, in their region, which is the largest producer of crude oil in Delta and Edo States.

This, she noted, would boost national oil production and fund the "Renewed Hope" agenda of the President and the APC-led administration.?Reaffirming her stance against the renewal of Tantita’s contract in Itsekiri territories, she cited records of oppression. ‘

She alleged that Tantita and its chairman, Government Ekpemupolo (AKA Tompolo), have used the funds and power from the contract to marginalize the Itsekiri people. She claimed that company staff openly insult host communities, treating their rights as mere "privileges."

Furthermore, she raised concerns over illegal land annexation, human rights abuses, a lack of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), and the exclusion of locals from guarding pipelines on their own land.

She noted that while several petitions and court cases are pending, some with the Attorney General of the Federation, others have been withdrawn due to fear of retaliation.?She emphasized that renewing Tantita’s contract in Iwereland would subject the Itsekiri people to renewed oppression and humiliation.

In a statement issued today in Warri, Delta State, she argued that the current monopoly has alienated critical stakeholders whose cooperation is vital for protecting oil and gas infrastructure.?

The Itsekiri youth leader and former Management Committee executive of the Omadino Community concluded that sustainable security can only be achieved when all host communities (landowners and settlers alike) are respected, empowered to guard their own lines, and fairly compensated.?

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