Bayelsa Youths Coalition Pays Courtesy Call on The Commander Of JTF Operation Delta Safe (South-south

**Commends Military Role in The Fight Against Vandalism, Oil Theft and Illegal Bunkering

……….Urges Commander/CDS to task TANTITA on proper Community Engagement/Sensitization.

A group of Bayelsa youths under the auspices of the Bayelsa Prosperity Youths Coalition, today paid a courtesy call on the Commander of the Joint Task Force (JTF) Operation Delta Safe South-South, Rear Admiral J. U. OKEKKE and his team in his office at the JTF headquarters Igbogene, Yenagoa.

The group led by its Director General Senr-Comr. Doubara Kumokuo (aka the Youth Governor) appreciated the Commander for the initiative to engage with Bayelsa youths on such critical aspects of national security as the fight against Crude oil theft, pipeline vandalism, and illegal bunkering, with a view to partneeing the local populace, by way of a retrospect of the Nigeria’s struggles and experiences in the Petroleum industry, Doubara stated that with the JTF’s serious efforts a lot has been achieved considering where we are coming from, quoting the Commander’s revelation that Nigeria’s daily output now gradually but steadily race towards 2million barrels per day, which is a commendable achievement of the Military and it’s partners such as the Tantita Security Outfit.

However, the youths governor use the opportunity of the visit to send a message of concern to the Chief of Defence Staff and the National Security Adviser through the JTF Commander, pointing out that even with the successes of Private Security Services Providers like Tantita, a lot has to be done by these security firms in the area of proper Community Engagement and sensitization, stating that much of the Tantita’s activities remain in the shadows as its activities vastly held back from the local population who are deliberately not been carried along.

Speaking further, the Secretary of the Coalition Barr. Ayebakuro Igbeta elaborated that the Tantita outfit and it’s Sub-contractors must have to deliberately bring home to the people their activities through concerted monthly community engagement, sensitization and reach outs. This according to Igbeta would spur the people to be more supportive of the processes,in its efforts at combating the menaces of oil theft and illegal bunkering. The group expressed in very clear terms that the youth engagement as demanded is a documented aspect of the NNPCL’s contract with Tantita and it’s Sub-contractors, thus the Contractors must become alive even in this direction, in as much as the outfit together with the JTF has been achieving monumental successes.

The secretary Barr. Igbeta argued that the local population must be informed of the negative health implications, environmental and economic repacursions which are the attendant consequences of dealing illegally with oil and gas infrastructures. The youths should be informed that vandalism, oil thefts and illegal bunkering are crimes punishable under the Nigerian laws, and that these activities negatively affect public revenue thereby amounting to government inability to provide essential and perform other primary roles as expected. Describing the nature of community engagement, the Coalition stresses that it must have to take several forms including but not limited to sensitization talks, motivation, employment, rehabilitation, and gift/donations to communities, less privileged, and community based bodies sponsored programs.

Chief Lucky Asakpo, the Director of Security of the Coalition in his own remarks highlighted that a lot more can still be achieved if the Military, the Tantita Security outfit collaborates more with Bayelsa Youths especially in the area of information gathering and sharing which will enable relevant body to act decisively based on very actionable intelligence of the youths, who must have to be properly engaged and motivated.

The Commander J. U. Okeke and his team thanked the youths for honoring his invitation even at the very short notice and promised to transmit their messages, commendations and challenges to the appropriate quaterd for prompt actions.