A major Urhobo socio-political group, the Pan-Urhobo Renewed Conscience Patriots (PURCP), has fiercely condemned the Urhobo Progress Union (UPU) leadership over its recent demand for the federal government to cancel the pipeline surveillance contract awarded to Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited (TSSNL). PURCP, in a scathing press statement, branded the UPU's call as "hostile and unnecessary," warning it could "inflame distrust and fracture the peaceful coexistence between Urhobos and their Ijaw neighbours."
The group, through its secretary general, Comrade Israel Arigbe, dismissed the UPU's justification for the call as "pedestrian and lacking merit." It strongly advised the Chief Ese Gam-led UPU to "always consult relevant stakeholders when trashing sensitive matters before taking a stand," arguing that such proactive action would prevent "hasty and unpopular decisions that misrepresent the sentiments and opinion of the Urhobo nation."
The Patriots lauded TSSNL as a "competent indigenous company whose operations have made a commendable impact on the Nigerian economy." They highlighted "evidence of Tantita’s unprecedented achievements in the reduction of oil theft, illegal refinery, and improving the environmental safety of the oil-bearing communities in Delta State and beyond are in the public domain for every prying eye to see." The group further pointed out that "thousands of youths have been offered jobs by Tantita, coupled with numerous topnotch community development projects the company has continuously executed under its corporate social responsibility policy."
Addressing the UPU's specific legal argument, the statement asserted: “The section 257, sub-section 2 of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA 2021) which was cited by the leadership of UPU as the ground upon which the call for termination of the Tantita’s pipeline contract was initiated, does not pose an iota of threat to Urhobo nation.” The group sternly cautioned against misinterpreting this section "to serve personal interest that undermines the collective will of the good people of Urhobo nation and endangers the existing peaceful coexistence between Urhobos and Ijaws."
While defending Tantita's contract, the Patriots also urged the company's management to "always consult widely in the recruitment of Urhobo youths and other Nigerians into its operations to avoid being accused of favouring relatives, friends and cronies in hiring and promotion decisions at the expense of more qualified locals."
