By Tope Kolawole
The APC Youth Network in Bayelsa State has called for an immediate forensic probe and outright termination of the controversial Tantita pipeline surveillance contract, describing the recent resignation of former APC Deputy Governorship Candidate, Joshua Maciver, as fresh evidence that the multi-billion-naira deal has become a patronage network for stomach-driven opportunists rather than a genuine security initiative.
In an open letter addressed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and signed by Comrade Preye Godson, the group lambasted both the Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited (TSSNL) arrangement and Maciver, who serves as the Bayelsa State Coordinator of the contract.
The letter, made available to journalists on Friday, noted that Maciver, who recently resigned his membership of the party, had benefited immensely from the deal while allegedly showing little loyalty to the party or the nation.
The group argued that the Tantita contract, reportedly valued at approximately $144 million (over ₦48 billion) annually, has been hijacked by opportunists who care nothing for pipeline security, regional development, or party discipline.
“Joshua Maciver did not join the APC because he believed in your vision for a better Nigeria. He did not run as Deputy Governorship Candidate out of genuine love for Bayelsa or the Renewed Hope project. He was there purely for personal gain – his stomach,” the letter declared.
“This is the height of political prostitution and betrayal. Maciver and his likes treat the APC like a temporary vehicle for enrichment and the Tantita contract like a personal cash cow,” they added.
The group described the Tantita deal as a symbol of cronyism, lacking transparency, and offering questionable value for money.
Despite the huge quarterly payments, they noted persistent concerns over illegal bunkering, oil theft, and vulnerabilities in the creeks, arguing that the contract concentrates enormous resources in the hands of a few whose primary allegiance is to profit, not national security.
“Maciver perfectly embodies everything wrong with this arrangement. His stomach infrastructure politics has exposed the deal for what it truly is: a patronage network that rewards opportunists while delivering uncertain security outcomes,” the letter stated.
“If beneficiaries like him can resign from the APC and still retain their positions of immense financial benefit, then the contract has failed the test of loyalty, accountability, and national interest. ”
The APC Youth Network joined growing national calls for accountability, demanding a full forensic audit of the contract’s award, payments, renewals, performance metrics, and actual impact on oil production and theft, with particular scrutiny on beneficiaries in Bayelsa State.
They urged President Tinubu to terminate the contract upon completion of the probe and replace it with a transparent, competitive, and accountable framework, preferably involving the Nigerian Navy, local communities under strict oversight, or properly vetted public institutions.
“The Niger Delta deserves genuine security and development, not rented loyalty from men who jump ship politically while holding onto public funds. Your Renewed Hope Agenda cannot accommodate characters who treat party membership and national contracts as tools for self-enrichment,” the group warned.
“Continuing this deal in its current form rewards betrayal and undermines the very foundations of party discipline and good governance.
“Your Excellency, the youths of the APC in Bayelsa stand ready to support any decisive action you take to clean up this mess. Probe Tantita rigorously.
“Terminate the contract. Hold opportunists like Joshua Maciver accountable. Let this be the moment you send a clear message: Nigeria and the APC are for patriots, not stomach politicians.”
