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Francis Onoiribholo
Leaders of the Host Communities of Nigeria Producing Oil and Gas (HOSCON) have raised concerns over the alleged non release of funds by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited for the payment of salaries to staff and subcontractors of Tantita Security Nigeria Limited, the contracting firm protecting the nation’s oil and gas pipelines.
They warned that the development could trigger industrial unrest and undermine efforts to safeguard Nigeria’s oil and gas facilities across the country.
The concerns were contained in an open letter to the Presidency on behalf of the leaders by the Ovie of Idjerhe Kingdom, His Royal Majesty Obukowho Monday Whiskey, Udurhie I, who is also the Chairman of the HOSCON Traditional Rulers and Elders Advisory Council of Nigeria .
In the letter addressed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and dated June 20, 2026, the monarch alleged that some “influential cabals” within the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited were deliberately frustrating the operations of Tantita Security by delaying payments for services already rendered.
According to the monarch, the prolonged salary delay has created widespread dissatisfaction among workers and subcontractors, with reports of threats to embark on industrial action if the situation is not urgently addressed.
The Idjerhe king claimed that intelligence available to HOSCON suggested that individuals who previously benefited from crude oil theft were adopting new tactics to weaken Tantita Security by starving the company of operational funding after failing to continue illegal bunkering activities in the Niger Delta.
The traditional ruler described the alleged move as a calculated attempt to destabilise pipeline surveillance operations, stressing that the sacrifices made by Tantita Security in combating crude oil theft should not be undermined by vested interests.
He appealed to President Tinubu to immediately investigate the allegations and ensure prompt payment to avert what he described as a looming crisis in the oil-producing region.
The HOSCON leader however commended Tantita Security for what he described as its professionalism and effectiveness in protecting critical oil infrastructure, noting that environmental degradation and crude oil theft had significantly reduced since the company’s engagement.
He also warned that any attempt to reverse the progress recorded in securing oil facilities and restoring the Niger Delta environment would be strongly resisted by host communities.
The petition further urged the Federal Government to accord pipeline surveillance operations greater priority in national budgetary allocations, arguing that assignments of such strategic national importance should not be subjected to bureaucratic delays or the influence of vested interests.
HOSCON vowed that it would continue to expose any actions capable of frustrating the success of the pipeline surveillance initiative, while calling on the management of NNPC Limited and all patriotic Nigerians to support organisations working to protect the nation’s oil and gas assets.
