The National Assembly is planning to initiate legal frameworks to break the monopoly of the Nigeria Navy (NN) in the policing of the nation’s blue water and deep sea, where the economic assets of the country in the oil and gas sectors are located.
This action would pave the way for the accommodation of private security companies in the task of securing the country’s oil and gas assets located in the blue waters and deep sea.
Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum Upstream, Alhassan Ado Doguwa, announced the new position over the weekend when he led 26 federal lawmakers drawn from seven relevant oil and gas committees of the House on an inspection of the two oil bunkering vessels – MT KALI and HARBOR SPIRIT, impounded by Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited (TSSNL), a security firm owned by former Niger Delta militant commander, Chief Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo.
They visited Tompolo at at Oporoza, Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State.
The House of Representatives members were accompanied on the visit by the Special Joint Task Force set up by the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Oglala. The SJTF comprise of all Government Security Agencies (GSAs),
The federal lawmakers were briefed on the activities leading to the arrest of the vessels by Tantita’s executive director, operations/technical services, Warriedi Enisuoh.
Although Ado Doguwa did not specifically state that empowering private security firms to operate in the high seas was aimed at halting the monopoly in policing the nation’s blue waters, the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Armed Forces Act CAP A20 and the National Defence Policy 2006 accordingly charged the Nigerian navy with the defence of Nigeria by sea. These statutes also expanded NN roles to cover the full spectrum of military, policing and diplomatic functions of a modern Navy.
The MT KALI was arrested while siphoning crude oil from Pennington oilfields of Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) in Bayelsa state on January 11, while HARBOR SPIRIT, a Moldovan vessel, was apprehended while stealing crude oil from Sengana oilfields in the coastal axis of Bayelsa state, on February 4, 2024.
Doguwa, who led his colleagues, including chairman, House Committee on Gas Resources and leader of the Southern Caucus in the House of Representatives, Nicholas Mutu; chairman, House Committee on Environment, Julius Pondi; chairman, House Committee on Petroleum Resources (Training Funds), Thomas Ereyitomi, and Benedict Etanabene (Okpe, Sapele and Uvwie Federal Constituency) as well as the representative of Ilaje/Ese Odo federal constituency in the House, Donald Ojogo, on inspection of the impounded oil bunkering equipment, commended Tantita and the Special Joint Task Force for the giant strides achieved in the war against crude oil theft.
Doguwa, who also led his colleagues in a courtesy call on Ekpemupolo, said the National Assembly was desirous of supporting and encouraging the private security providers, especially Tantita, to stamp out the menace of illegal oil bunkering, adding that no efforts would be spared by the lawmakers to complement the sincere commitment of all stakeholders to put an end to the menace.
“The National Assembly is presently considering a legal framework that will empower the private security institutions protecting national assets like Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited (TSSNL), so as to allow them to operate not only on the shallow waters but also in the deep waters and high seas, so that they can protect and fight seriously against oil theft and incidences of vandalisation that have continue to adversely affect the national economy,” Ado Doguwa said on Friday.
Doguwa, who also doubles as chairman of the House’s special committee on crude oil theft, expressed satisfaction over the conduct of the private security agencies, especially Tantita, in the relentless war against crude oil theft.
“We have seen the very good work done by Tantita. We have also seen the very good work being done by our security agencies, the Army, Navy, the Police and NSCDC. We have seen how they are all working in synergy and doing their best.
“On our (NASS) own part, we will continue to create an enabling environment to see to the protection of oil assets…“A situation where we are having an upsurge in crude oil theft is not tolerated. And by what we have seen today, we have seen a complete sense of determination, a complete sense of commitment by the Nigerian security agencies alongside the private support, particularly, the private surveillance firm, Tantita,” Doguwa added.
First published in Leadership