Militancy: Ex-Chevron director writes Tinubu, reveals how Tompolo protected multinational’s facility

The pioneer Executive Director of Projects at Chevron Nigeria Limited, Pastor (Dr) Philip Yerinmene Gbasin, has revealed how High Chief (Dr) Oweizide Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, shielded the company’s highly inflammable oil installations from imminent destruction during the height of militancy in the Niger Delta — all without charging the company a kobo.

Pastor Gbasin made the revelation in an open letter addressed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a copy of which was made available to our correspondent in Warri, Delta State. 

According to Gbasin, “Apart from God Almighty, Tompolo was a key leadership factor that gave the company that rare edge. His circle of influence was, and still is, very wide and deep in the Niger Delta.”

He further alleged that during the Warri ethnic crisis, the military repeatedly commandered Chevron’s Oil Tank Farm as a base to launch offensives against warring groups in an effort to enforce peace. This, however, backfired.

“These actions provoked some armed factions who, in turn, directed their anger at Chevron, accusing the company of taking sides in the conflict,” he explained. “The military’s presence greatly compromised the safety of thousands of personnel and the company’s multi-billion-dollar facilities.”

Gbasin highlighted how Nigeria’s national crude oil production plummeted from 2.2 million barrels to just 700,000 barrels per day due to the deadly impacts of militancy during the administration of former President Umaru Yar’Adua in 2007.

He noted that nearly all oil companies in the region shut down their onshore operations, and many export terminals also ceased activities for extended periods due to major security breaches — prompting declarations of Force Majeure.

“Amidst such a precarious and hostile operational environment, Chevron Nigeria Limited was the only company that maintained production without losing a single barrel of crude oil, both onshore and offshore,” he said.

Reacting to recent media attacks on Tompolo, Gbasin defended the ex-militant leader’s pivotal role in stabilising oil production — the backbone of Nigeria’s economy.

“Tompolo’s passion for the pipeline surveillance contract he was awarded is unprecedented, and the results are immeasurable,” he declared. “If all government agencies delivered such outstanding performance, Nigeria would be well on the path to becoming a lender nation.”

He condemned efforts by certain unnamed individuals to malign Tompolo and turn the government against him, describing such actors as the “real economic saboteurs.”

“In many countries, someone like Tompolo would be honoured nationally for his contributions to economic recovery. And it is not too late,” he asserted.

Gbasin also criticised the suspicious timing of the smear campaigns, especially given the current economic hardship and the immense challenges the president is contending with daily.

He recalled that when Tompolo’s company, Tantita Security Services, was awarded the now-celebrated pipeline surveillance contract, Nigeria’s crude oil production stood at a paltry 600,000 barrels per day due to vandalism and large-scale oil theft.

“However, within a few months of TANTITA’s operations, national crude production skyrocketed to an unprecedented 1.6 million barrels per day,” he stated.

“Your Excellency, by all economic and political standards, this is an extraordinary feat that deserves to be celebrated and rewarded. For nearly two decades, when this same contract changed hands multiple times, there was no record of any such impact on production.”

He concluded by noting that thousands of youths, adults, and women across ethnic groups in the Niger Delta are now employed through TANTITA, with positive ripple effects across families and communities—benefits he described as “certainly beyond quantification.”

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