The Joint Committee of the House of Representatives on Host Communities and Public Petitions has passed a sweeping vote of confidence on Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited, rejecting ongoing calls for the decentralisation of the company’s pipeline surveillance contract.
Gatekeepers News reports that the lawmakers described the agitation as baseless, politically motivated, and contrary to the overall interests of the Niger Delta region.
The position was reached at the end of a joint retreat involving members of the House committee, HOSTCOM trustees, and stakeholders from oil-producing communities across the Niger Delta. The retreat was held in Owerri, Imo State.
The event, themed “Strengthening Pipeline Surveillance Through Host Communities Partnership, Accountability and Sustainable Development Under the Petroleum Industry Act 2021,” ended with resolutions strongly endorsing Tantita’s operations and urging the Federal Government and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to grant the company a fresh long-term contract extension.
In resolutions signed after deliberations on May 27, 2026, the committee stated that Chapter 3 of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021 already provides a structured framework for decentralised community participation through the Host Communities Development Trust (HCDT) and the mandatory three percent operating expenditure contribution by oil companies.
According to the lawmakers, Sections 234 to 258 of the PIA already establish a legally recognised mechanism for host communities to participate in development and benefit-sharing within the oil sector.
The committee therefore rejected fresh demands for the decentralisation of the pipeline surveillance contract currently managed by Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited.
Participants at the retreat accused promoters of the agitation of pursuing personal commercial interests under the guise of community advocacy.
Part of the resolutions read: “All calls for further decentralisation of the private security contract are hereby dismissed as baseless and anti-Niger Delta.”
The lawmakers stressed that the surveillance arrangement remains a private contractual relationship between the NNPCL and Tantita and should not be confused with the statutory HOSTCOM framework established under the PIA.
The committee and stakeholders also commended Tantita for what they described as effective and patriotic service in protecting Nigeria’s critical oil infrastructure.
They cited improvements in crude oil production, reductions in pipeline vandalism, and the restoration of relative peace in oil-producing communities as key achievements under the company’s operations led by High Chief Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo.
“Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited, in partnership with NNPCL, has rendered demonstrably effective service in the protection of crude oil pipelines and the recovery of national crude oil production,” the resolutions stated.
Following the deliberations, the Joint Committee unanimously passed a vote of confidence on the company and urged the Federal Government and NNPCL to approve a long-term renewal of the surveillance contract to sustain gains made in the fight against crude oil theft and illegal bunkering.
The retreat also commended President Bola Tinubu, the NNPCL, and the Office of the National Security Adviser for their roles in stabilising Nigeria’s petroleum sector and protecting the nation’s economic interests.
