By Abel Johngold Orheruata, MNIPR
The Managing Director of Tantita Security Services Limited, High Chief Kestin Pondi, has been celebrated for his exceptional contributions to youth empowerment, community development, and security in the Niger Delta region.
Tantita Security Service Special Volunteer Force (TSSSVF), also known as Tantita Security Ambassadors, commended High Chief Pondi for creating employment opportunities for over 25,000 youths from diverse ethnic groups across the Niger Delta. The group also highlighted his humanitarian efforts, including distributing welfare packages during the yuletide, underscoring the company’s commitment to grassroots engagement and corporate social responsibility.
The commendation was detailed in a communiqué issued after a recent meeting of TSSSVF, signed by its Coordinator, Comrade (Engr) Efe Feludu Kwakpovwe; Secretary, Barr. Andrew Efole; and Public Relations Officer, Comrade Stanley Umukoro. The volunteer force comprises over 1,000 members, including former student leaders, youth advocates, oil and gas experts, medical professionals, and human and environmental rights activists from oil-producing and pipeline-hosting communities across the Niger Delta states. The group collaborates with Tantita Security Services to conduct awareness campaigns against oil theft, pipeline vandalism, environmental degradation, and youth restiveness.
In their statement, the group congratulated High Chief Pondi on his recent Award of Excellence at the Kurutie Annual Amafinide Uge Festival, recognizing his humanitarian and community development initiatives. “His innovative approach to security management has not only ensured the safety of people and assets but also fostered economic growth and development in the region,” the statement read.
The group also enumerated the accolades received by Tantita Security Services under High Chief Pondi’s leadership, including:
Vanguard Newspaper’s Best Security Company on Crude Oil Infrastructure Security Award
Meritorious Award to High Chief Government Ekpemupolo (aka Tompolo), CEO of Tantita Security Services, by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) for contributing to peace in the Niger Delta and combating crude oil theft and pipeline vandalism.
Highlighting the effectiveness of Tantita Security Services, the group referenced the November 2024 stakeholders’ meeting, where the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, reported that Nigeria’s crude oil production had risen to 1.808 million barrels per day and gas production to 7.4 billion standard cubic feet per day. These figures reflect the critical role of Tantita Security Services in achieving national economic milestones.
The group recalled that Nigeria’s crude oil production plummeted to 939,000 barrels per day in Q3 2022 due to vandalism and other criminal activities, preventing the country from meeting its OPEC production quota. This decline, alongside environmental degradation, stifled economic activities in the Niger Delta until Tantita Security Services intervened.
“We commend NNPCL for engaging Tantita Security Services, a company founded by Niger Delta activist High Chief Government Ekpemupolo (aka Tompolo) and managed by High Chief (Engr) Kestin Pondi, an engineering and security expert. Their collaboration with Nigerian security agencies and the Office of the National Security Adviser has achieved remarkable success in protecting vital national assets and resources,” the communiqué stated.
High Chief Kestin Pondi’s leadership continues to leave an indelible mark on the Niger Delta, serving as a beacon of hope, development, and progress for the region and beyond.
