By Tekena Amieyeofori
Every Democracy Day, Nigeria praises journalists for keeping the Fourth Republic alive. But when Nigerian journalists marked World Press Freedom Day on May 3, 2026, the talk was of intimidation, poor welfare in service, and meagre pensions. So here is the June 12 question: if democracy needs journalists to stay alive and defend it, who keeps them alive when they retire?
Four months earlier in Yenagoa, Tantita Security Services had an answer. On Saturday February 14, 2026, no fewer than 90 veteran journalists of Bayelsa origin were invited to the Samson Siasia Stadium in Yenagoa for recognition of their invaluable contributions to society while in active service. In the Valentine’s Day spirit of love, they were each given the sum of N1 million, while the octogenarians in their midst smiled home with N5 million each.
February is winter in the North. In Nigeria, the season is synonymous with inflation. With soaring costs of living taking their toll on household budgets, survival has become herculean for many families. For unemployed and retired people, it takes sheer resilience to survive. It was in that fiscal winter that Mr. Ovieteme George, award-winning journalist, partnered with Tantita Security Services Limited to reach out to retired and forgotten journalists who served society with their youthful vibrancy and intellect.
Active journalism practice is physically and mentally exhausting. When an average journalist goes through that routine for decades, they must have undoubtedly paid their dues. But in Nigeria, journalists work like elephants and earn like ants. For those who fail to save for the rainy day, retirement could seem like a living hell. This must have been what Mr. George considered when he came up with the idea of reaching out to his predecessors in the pen profession. It shows respect for older colleagues and empathy for society at large.
But for the sponsorship of Tantita Security Services Limited, this laudable project could not have been actualised. Tantita is not a charity organisation. It is the private firm guarding Nigeria’s crude oil in the Niger Delta the black gold that funds the democracy Nigeria celebrates every June 12. Since August 2022 when Tantita won the NNPCL security contract, almost four years on, the company has discovered and dismantled over 60 illegal connections on major trunk lines. With the deployment of high-tech surveillance facilities like long-range drones, and a deep knowledge of the creeks, it has significantly curbed oil theft, increasing Nigeria’s oil output in the last four years.
Last month, Nigeria’s oil production, comprising crude oil and condensates, rose to 1.7 million bpd. Recent data released by the Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) shows that Nigeria’s oil output has surpassed the 1.5 million bpd quota allocated by OPEC. It stands to reason that expanded oil revenues, if properly utilised, allow for increased spending on public services, healthcare, and education. When government successfully meets citizens’ basic needs, it builds public trust, reduces political tension, and strengthens democratic participation.
But beyond providing security, Tantita has satisfactorily discharged its corporate social responsibility with interventions such as commissioning of the Ugborikoko Divisional Police Headquarters, training youths in ICT, and carrying out road repairs in Delta State. Its recent intervention is the sponsorship of Mr. George’s project-which also received substantial input from Her Excellency Mrs. Patience Ama Zuofa-Diri, wife of the Bayelsa State governor. As High Chief Kestin Pondi, Managing Director of Tantita Security Services Limited, rightly observed at the event, journalists deserve to be appreciated, especially at retirement.
If Valentine’s Day is the only bubble in the flat champagne of February, as Tom Robbins claims, then the veterans who had long thirsted for recognition truly savoured the fine taste of the day’s celebration. The veterans’ ink might have slowly faded, but their recognition shows they still have their names solidly engraved in the hearts of those who truly appreciate hard work and professional integrity.
Mr. George and Tantita have set a precedent in the Niger Delta by honouring senior citizens whose watchdog role has contributed immensely to the survival of Nigeria’s democracy. It was not just an act of philanthropy, but a restoration of the dignity of a rare breed of retired professionals who left the Samson Siasia Stadium feeling honoured, and with smiles on their faces on February 14.
In the words of Mr. Timiebi Sami Ebiye, one of the beneficiaries, “If Tantita truly understands the depth of what they have done here today and how much this means to us, they will be more fulfilled than we are”.