Leaders of the Urhobo ethnic nationality have condemned the President-General of the Urhobo Progress Union (UPU) Worldwide, Olorogun Ese Gam Owe, for a recent advertorial that they claim is aimed at promoting division and hatred against non-Urhobo people.
The leaders, who are coordinators of Tantita Security, expressed shock and disappointment over the publication, which they say is based on blatant lies and extortion.
In a Press Statement, the Urhobo leaders described the advertorial as “riddled with grammatical and typographical errors” and accused Olorogun Ese Gam Owe of bringing the esteemed organization into disrepute.
They also pointed out that the UPU President-General’s claims about Tantita Security’s operations in Urhobo land are false, citing the fact that Tantita employs over 3,500 Urhobo indigenes from 88 communities in 16 kingdoms.
The Press Statement was signed by Chief Ukpebitere Kenneth, President-General, Evwreni Community, who doubles as Chairman of all PGs of Urhobo and Isoko led the PGs in attendance.
The leaders argued that Tantita’s operations have been successful in reducing vandalism, oil theft, and environmental degradation in Urhobo land, and that the company’s Urhobo coordinators and operatives have worked hard to protect the nation’s national assets.
They questioned Olorogun Ese Gam Owe’s motives, asking why he is demanding that the hardworking men and women of Tantita be dismissed so that he can replace them with persons of questionable character.
The Urhobo leaders also criticized Olorogun Ese Gam Owe for his myopic opinion that only persons of Urhobo extraction can do business in Urhobo land, saying that this notion is contrary to the values of the UPU.
They called on Nigerians to understand that people who use socio-cultural organizations to blackmail and extort legitimate businesses based on lies and deceit do not represent the people of those organizations.
They vowed to uphold the values of the UPU Constitution, which aims to foster the spirit of love, mutual understanding, and brotherhood among Urhobo people, as well as good neighborliness with non-Urhobo people and Nigeria in general.
Here Is The Full Press Statement:
PRESS STATEMENT BY TANTITA COORDINATORS OF URHOBO ETHNIC NATIONALITY ON THE ADVERTORIAL SIGNED BY UPU PRESIDENT GENERAL
Without a doubt the Urhobo Nation is a key stakeholder in the Niger Delta region and a major player in Project Nigeria.
From time immemorial, our ethnic group has made seminal contributions to nation-building through the Urhobo Progress Union (UPU), the worldwide socio-cultural body whose primary aim and objective is to foster the spirit of love, mutual understanding and brotherhood among Urhobo people; good neighborliness with non- Urhobo people, and Nigeria in general. See Article 2(B)(1) of the UPU Constitution.
It is therefore shocking to us as Urhobos and Presidents General of various Urhobo Communities to find a letter from the office of the UPU President General seeking to promote division and hatred against non-Urhobo people as against the good neighbourliness with non-Urhobo people prescribed in the UPU Constitution.
Worse still is to find that the entire reason for this move that has dragged the venerable name of the UPU in the mud is nothing more than extortion.
On Saturday, the 5th of July 2025, we woke up to a publication in the Vanguard newspapers where the President-General of UPU Worldwide, Olorogun Ese Gam Owe, Esq made a statement riddled with grammatical and typographical errors, bringing our highly esteemed organization into disrepute. Is it not surprising that the UPU, led by Ese Gam Owe, a lawyer, cannot even spell “Tantita” correctly? What is “TANTITAN”? A simple Google search would have revealed the company’s proper name.
In the very opening paragraph, the statement reads:
“In a resolution reached at the General Assembly of the Urhobo, the Urhobo People of the Niger Delta, and Delta State in particular, we reject the continues operations of TANTITAN SECURITY…”
The Urhobo Nation has produced illustrious sons and daughters, like Professor Onigu Otite, Philip Kuale, Eghagha, Ekeh and Onoge to mention just a few, yet the author cannot construct a simple sentence without error. At the end of his writing he said: “We sincerely Solicits your understanding…”
Beyond the grammatical errors are the blatant lies upon which the entire publication was fabricated. At the very beginning of the statement Olorogun Ese Gam Owe, Esq., said,
“In a resolution reached at the General Assembly Conference of the Urhobo…
In the first place there is nothing like the General Assembly Conference of the Urhobo in the UPU Constitution. Article 5(a) of the UPU Constitution speaks of the Annual Urhobo National Congress. Is it possible that the makers of this paid advert have not seen the UPU Constitution before. Having violated the Constitution, it is clear they do not speak for the Urhobo nation.
Secondly quoting Section 257(2) of the Petroleum Industry Act 2021 shows Olorogun Ese Gam Owe’s ignorance of how Tantita operates. Every single kilometre of pipeline traversing Urhobo land is protected by Urhobo indigenes 100%. Every community in Urhobo land has been given slots as operatives and coordinators and are responsible for the safekeeping of the pipelines in their domain. Therefore Tantita has fully complied with the provisions of the PIA.
As of today, Tantita employes over 3,500 Urhobo indigenes covering 88 Urhobo Communities in 16 Urhobo Kingdoms, making Tantita the highest employer of labour in Urhobo land.
Anyone familiar with Tantita’s operations knows that all oil-bearing communities participate directly in securing facilities within their territories. In Ijaw land, they provide the bulk of patrol teams; the same is true of the Itsekiri, Isoko, Kwale-and most certainly Urhobo-communities.Almost 4,000 Urhobo indigenes earn a monthly wage as Tantita operatives and coordinators. From Iwhremeraga to Unenurhie, from Kokori to Oguname-Olomu, from Oviamughe-Agbarho to Ugbomro, from Mosogar to Ibada-Elume to Arhavwarhien, Tantita is on the ground through Urhobo indigenes. These communities amongst many others are protecting the nation’s national assets in collaboration with Tantita.
The question now is this, is Olorogun Ese Gam Owe now demanding that these hardworking men and women be dismissed so he can replace them with persons of questionable character?
For over two years now, Tantita’s Urhobo coordinators and operatives have worked hard to reduce vandalism, oil theft, illegal refining, and environmental degradation to the barest minimum. No one, not a single community, has complained about their performance.
So, what does Olorogun Ese Gam Owe mean by “it has become imperative for Urhobo people to be responsible and take charge”? Are these people sitting here today at this press conference not Urhobo indigenes? Or is there anybody more Urhobo than us here today?
Where was he when oil facilities were being vandalized all over the length and breadth Urhobo land in the past? Where several kilometres of pipelines were dug up and harvested from the ground? Where farmlands were polluted by oil traps dug in the ground? Where vigilantes in Urhobo communities were killed by illegal bunkerers to gain access to the communities? When traditional rulers were threatened by illegal oil bunkerers and even killed when they resisted?
The most dangerous notion contained in Olorogun Ese Gam’s letter is the myopic opinion that only persons of Urhobo extraction can do business in Urhobo land. So, what happens to Urhobo sons and daughters doing business outside of Urhoboland. Should they immediately return home?
What he does not understand is that Tantita did not win the contract for pipeline surveillance based on ethnic considerations but competence and capacity. This capacity has been demonstrated throughout the length and breadth of her operations. It is only ignorant people who think security is for idle people sitting at home, waiting to collect or share money. Tantita with her state of the art technological capacity and extraordinary managerial skills has managed to make the work look effortless therefore every ignorant person thinks I can do it just as well!
Finally, Nigerians must understand that people who use socio-cultural organizations to blackmail and extort legitimate businesses based on lies and deceit do not represent the people of those organizations In the opening paragraph of his publication, the President-General of UPU claimed that a resolution was reached at “a General Assembly of the Urhobo people” rejecting Tantita’s operations in Urhobo land. Can he produce the minutes of that meeting, the notice of the assembly, and the date it was held?
This form of ethnic entrepreneurship runs contrary to the tenets of the UPU and all Urhobos must rise against this debasement of their values. On our part we will continue to uphold the values of the UPU Constitution to foster the spirit of love, mutual understanding and brotherhood among Urhobo people; good neighborliness with non- Urhobo people, and Nigeria in general.
Signed by Chief Ukpebitere Kenneth, President-General, Evwreni Community, who doubles as Chairman of all PGs of Urhobo and Isoko led the PGs in attendance
