By Samuel Ogude
The Management of Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited has vowed to continue to partner with government’s security agencies to fight oil theft in the country.
In a press statement signed by the Management and made available to news over the weekend said although, so far, the fight has been gruelling but has recorded successes in the past one year adding this is based on the collaboration between it and the government’s security agencies.
The Management said, it has affirmed the partnership with government’s security agencies such as the Nigeria Army, Navy, Air Force, the Police Force and Security and Civil Defence Corps who have staked their lives to the service of the Nation.
Part of the statement reads:” Therefore, this is to affirm the partnership with hundreds and thousands of government security agents, officers and men of Nigeria Army,Navy, Air Force, Nigeria Police Force ..who have put their lives at risk in the service of the Nation..”
The statement said, the organization however was not too comfortable with what played out few days ago while carrying out their job of surveillance. According to the statement, on the 3rd of August,2023, the news of a vessel, MT PRAISEL that was intercepted by Tantita rented the air.
While investigation was still on going, contrary to the organization’s policy and practice, the source of the news leaked. Consequent upon which, on the 4th August,2023, Naval Headquarters issued press statement over this. Although, on the 1st of August, Tantita got credible information that a vessel which had obtained NMDPRA approval to deliver HPFO from Koko to Lagos Offshore would be proceeding in the opposite direction.
On the 2nd of August, 2023, Tantita operatives approached the MT PRAISEL as it has made its way through a creek in Delta State off Benin River and on board were Naval personnel and Tantita inspection crew included officers and men of operation Delta Safe(Task Force that jointly fight oil theft).
And from the investigation, the vessel supposed to sail to Lagos but the Master of the vessel showed that, it was on its way to Bonny.
And upon this, Tantita requested for Naval clearance and its documentation and it revealed that Koko as a Port of discharge for the storage as nothing was indicating Bonny.
And as custom demands, Tantita requested for further certificate from the crew as to the discrepancy between NMDPRA permit and the Naval clearance to enable it take sample of the cargo on board. This of course, angered the Naval personnel on board and ordered Tantita personnel to disembark the vessel.
Against this background, there was heated argument which made the matter be brought to the knowledge of higher authority who instructed that the vessel be anchored on Escravos roads for further investigation. And that with this, Tantita dispatched her personnel to collect sample from the vessel.
The statement said, on the 3rd of August when Tantita was still in the process of collecting the sample along with Navy personnel, when the news leaked to the media.
It was on the following day that Tantita saw the Press statement which appears to indicate that NMDPRA gave approval to MT PRAISEL to proceed Bonny for discharge yet they have not seen the documents. Part of the statement reads:” There are many vessels plying this area, but Tantita does not board them. Intelligence has to be credible in this circumstance; there were reasonable ground for suspicious of the movement of the MT PRAISEL in the opposite direction from the NMDPRA clearance seen…”
Contrary to the Naval Headquarters press statement on the issue of who was present on Thursday August 3, 2023, it was on Friday 4th August, 2023 that a staff of NMDPRA first came on board to take samples from Cargo holds laboratory analysis. Again, it said while it is believed the Naval press statement was done in the best motives, there are many areas that beg for answers.
It asked the rationale behind NMDPRA approved port of discharge (Lagos Offshore) different from the Navy clearance (Koko as storage)and why they are both different from port of discharge shown in the Naval press release (Bonny)?
It should be noted that in the course of several joint meetings, Tantita has consistently asked for a single clearing house for all approvals in order to for each agency of government to see what the other is approving or has approved as unscrupulous elements can take advantage of the existing gaps in procedure to transport and sell stolen crude and illegally refined products if they rely papers alone.
Based on the foregoing, Tantita therefore resolved that they would not allow a situation where the small fry is chased out of illegal business only to for the big fish to remain in business as a 10 tonner vessel would do more damage to Nigeria economy in a single voyage than 1000 dugout canoes carrying jerry cans