Employees of Tantita Services Limited from Itsekiri ethnic group have debunked a viral video of some persons protesting against High Chief Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, and his security outfit, purportedly claiming that Itsekiri people have not been employed in the firm.
In a swift reaction, the Tantita workers of Itsekiri extraction gathered at Ugbodede Community, in Warri South local government area of Delta State, to counter the viral video at a press briefing on Friday.
Fidelis Lori, the coordinator of Obodo, Opumami Cluster and six other communities said several Itsekiri indigenes have paid employment with Tantita Security Services Limited.
He said, “We have contract with the Tantita Security Services Limited. We have those that are employed directly by Tantita Security Services and by the grace of God, most of our coordinators are here.
“We are here to tell the general public that whatever they were saying was indeed misleading. Itsekiri communities to the best of our knowledge have been carried along.
“We’ve looked into that video closely, and in analyzing it, we discovered that those that are involved in the purported protest are not Itsekiri indigenes. These impersonators they’re not from our communities. The people you are seeing here now are the people representing Itsekiri communities.
“In my cluster, where I happen to be the coordinator, I have about 135 job slots, it’s already ongoing and payment is prompt,” he stated.
Also, Engr. Samson Uwatse, the oordinator of Tantita, Ugbodede Unit, covering routes along Warri rivers maintained that Tantita has touched so many lives in the Itsekiri region.
“We have employees in Ugbodede Community as a whole. In this community, we have women employees, elders, and youths who are partaking in Tantita and they all have been paid every month.
“So, with all these, I want to inform the entire nation that those people that are saying that Tompolo and Tantita are not carrying Itsekiri along are liars as the Tantita office is doing well in fighting oil theft in the nation. We the Itsekiris are here to support it fully.” Uwatse stated.
Another Tantita beneficiary, Kuyatsemi Collins and others condemned those behind the viral videos, stressing that they are not happy with the false and mischievous accusation, that Tantita is not giving attention to Itsekiri people.
He said they were at the press conference “to say that it’s not true.”