Towards the end of last week, a terse statement by ex-militant leader Tompolo, calling for a meeting of former militants sent waves across the country leading to fear that they are regrouping, Shola O’Neil, S’South Regional Editor, in Port Harcourt, examines the behind the headline issues.
The ‘General Officer Commanding’ (GOC) of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), Chief Government Ekpemupolo, is famous for his reticent nature. The man popularly called Tompolo hardly speaks, at least not in public, and when he does his words are usually measured and weighty. His actions have stood him out among his peers in the Niger Delta agitation for a better deal from the Nigerian nation.
So, when he sent out an invitation on Thursday, July 23, rallying all “Commanders and leaders of the various wings of MEND …to a crucial and urgent meeting” in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, it reverberated across the region and beyond.
The tension generated by the invitation was heightened by recent developments by at the national and regional levels.
Although the distribution list of the invitation was not included, that it was intended for various wing leaders, meant that it was a serious affair. Dokubo Asari, founder of the Niger Delta Peoples Volunteer Force; Ebikabowe Victor Ben (aka Boyloaf), Ateke Tom, Ezekiel Akposibowei (aka Egbema I) and Shoot-at-Sight, Ogunboss among other colleagues from Ondo, Edo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers and Akwa Ibom states, were therefore expected.
Had the meeting held, it would be first time that such high calibre of former militants would be congregating since President Goodluck Jonathan lost the March 28 presidential election.
It would be recalled that Tompolo and those associates shook the nation the last time they met in Yenagoa in the heat of the rescheduled Presidential election. Three former warlords met at Creek Haven, the official seat of power of the Bayelsa State Government, with Governor Seriake Dickson reportedly in attendance. The message from the meeting was ominous – President Jonathan must be re-elected for the continued peace and security of the Niger Delta region as well as for the continuous existence of the country.
The threat elicited condemnation from all sections of the country, as well as a famous riposte by Gen Theophilus Danjuma, who called for the arrest of Tompolo and other attendees at the meeting. But rather than be sated, Tompolo reaffirmed his stance in Warri, Delta State.
“Gen. Danjuma and his cohorts”, he said, “should know that I remain resolute on my position in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, that President Jonathan must win this election for Nigeria to continue to stay together.”
At about the same time the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos State, Mr Jimi Agbaje, was also quoted as alluding to the capacity of Niger Delta militants to cripple the nation’s economy by attacking oil facilities in the region if their ‘son’ and ‘brother’ fails the re-election bid.
The defeat of Jonathan in the March 28 election and the inauguration of the incumbent president were watched with trepidation by people of the region.
Tompolo had been rarely seen or heard since then until on Thursday. Before the election though, it was gathered that he and other former MEND leaders were watched closely by security agencies.
It was against the above scenario that the planned revival of MEND in Yenogoa generated much interest and attention both within and outside the region. Tompolo is the most respected (and feared) agitator in the region. His influence and sphere spread from Cross River to Ondo.
He formed MEND in the wake of the 2005 Joint Task Force’s aerial and water bombardments of Okerenkoko, and other parts of Gbaramatu Kingdom after the end of the fratricidal Warri crisis, which was a precursor of the Niger Delta crisis.
The crisis became a full blown war in May 2009 when nine officers of the Nigerian Army were killed around the Chanomi Creeks of Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State in May 2009.
Why so much ado about a meeting?
Beyond the initial war threat by former militants though, recent developments in the Niger Delta region and apparent change in the Federal Government’s policy thrust on handling of former militants when compared to the patronages they enjoyed during the immediate past administration, were some of the reasons why the meeting generated tension.
Since President Muhammadu Buhari took over in May 29, the monthly stipend paid to beneficiaries of the amnesty programme has stopped. The stipend was part of the package approved by the late President Umar Yar’Adua as part of the deal to get Tompolo and others to drop their arms and exchange lives in the creeks for the city.
Since Buhari’s inauguration, the emolument and other patronages have stopped, leading to building tension in the area. Only recently, women protested in Yenagoa over the non payment of fees for 13 students undergoing pilot training with the German national carrier, Lufthansa in Frankfurt, Germany. There have also been protests by their counterparts in Nigeria, who have severally blockaded the East-West highway to express their grievances.
Although the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, explained that the default was due to ongoing investigation of the running of the programme, there had been rumour that the new administration planned to stop the amnesty programme when its initial five-year period ends in December.
While the delay in the payment of monthly stipends mostly affected the wellbeing of foot-soldiers and other backdoor beneficiaries of the amnesty programme, President Buhari’s cancellation of the controversial multibillion pipeline surveillance contracts, was seen as directly hitting on Tompolo and other former ‘Generals’ of MEND.
It was widely reported that during the first phase of the contract awarded shortly after Jonathan’s inauguration in 2011, Tompolo’s share of the contract was a whopping N5.1bn, while his counterparts Asari Dokubo, Ebikabowe Victor Ben (aka Boyloaf) and Ateke Tom got N1.44bn, N608million and N608m respectively. Although the deal was meant to ensure security of the oil facilities, incidents of pipeline vandalism and illegal bunkering escalated. The exception was in some parts of parts Delta State under the control of Tompolo.
Apart from the stoppage of amnesty stipend and pipeline surveillance contracts, the recent sacking of the Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr Patrick Akpobolokeimi, a protégé of Tompolo, was viewed as part of a general plot to remove the remaining vestige of his overbearing influence during the immediate past administration.
The former university lecturer’s appointment as NIMASA’s DG after the controversial sacking of Mr Temisan Omatseye in 2010, was due mostly to the influence of Tompolo, who also reportedly facilitated the renewal of his mandate by the former administration.
Tompolo’s influence over NIMASA was buttressed by Global West Vessel Services, a company linked to Tompolo, getting the lucrative N15 billion ($103m) contract for the supply of vessels and security platforms, from Dr Akpobolokaemi-led NIMASA. A Maritime University was also located by Akpobolokaemi at Okerenkoko along with other platforms of the agencies.
Furthermore, local and international media have been awash with reports of alleged fraud in the oil and gas sector under the last administration. Mrs Deziani Alison-Madueke, an Ijaw from Bayelsa State, was the Minister of Petroleum Resources during Jonathan’s entire full tenure. She is at the centre of investigation into subsidy scam as well as several alleged illicit deals involving the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and allocation of oil mining licences.
The Presidency has also disclosed of an ongoing probe of the Amnesty Programme, headed by Mr. Kingsley Kuku, an Ijaw from Arogbo in Ondo State. Kuku is a very close associate of Tompolo, who is also instrumental to his appointment and longevity in the position. The former amnesty boss singled out Tompolo for praises during a thanksgiving service held at the end of his assignment in Arogbo.
Before Tompolo’s convention of the MEND meeting, there was a general siege mentality among some Ijaw people, who expressed concern over probes targeting the former president and his Ijaw appointees, including Mrs Madueke.
The feeling, although not as strong, is similar to the one displayed when disgraced former Bayelsa State governor, Chief Diepriye Alamieyeseigha, was arrested in London for alleged money laundering in 2005. After his impeachment and subsequent arrest in December of that year, MEND in its inchoate stage made his release one of their conditions to cease hostility.
Although Tompolo did not state the agenda of the meeting in the terse invitation, a copy of which was forwarded to The Nation, the development listed above gave credence to concerns that the motive could be a return to insurgency in the Niger Delta. He has since denied nursing any sinister motives in a subsequent statement.
Tompolo’s long time media aide and confidant, Comrade Paul Bebenimibo, who was contacted by our reporter on Thursday, apart from confirming the meeting, divulged very little else. Pressed by our reporter, he merely said it was to deliberate on the state of the nation and Niger Delta in the light of prevailing situations.
However, a MEND faction loyal to Henry Okah believed that the meeting was a ploy to stop the present administration’s ongoing probe of the oil industry and Jonathan’s stewardship. In fact, a statement by MEND’s spokesperson, Jomo Gbomo, accused Tompolo of convening the meeting to “defend oil thieves and corruption officials of the Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.”
The faction affirmed its support for President Muhammadu Buhari and “his government’s courage to probe the administration of ex-President Jonathan,” insisting that the examination should also include the office of the former President, the ex-First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, and the Niger Delta Amnesty Programme.
Pressure on Tompolo to shelve meeting
Nevertheless, there were sections of Ijaw and other tribal leaders in the state who felt that the timing of the meeting was ill-conceived. It was gathered that shortly after the story on planned reconvention of MEND went viral online, Tompolo started receiving series of calls from his kinsmen and other leaders.
The host governor, Mr. Seriake Dickson, in the heat of the debate, advised the ex-militants to shelve their meeting. The governor’s call was contained in a statement by his media aide, Mr Daniel Iworiso-Markson.
“He was inundated with telephone calls; people were calling from all over the world to confirm if he was truly the convener of the meeting,” a Gbaramatu source, who asked not to be named told our reporter on telephone Saturday.
But beyond concerns that the proposed meeting could plunge the region into fresh crisis, pressure on the former militant leader also revealed deep-seated grievances of, not just some sections of the region, but some of Tompolo’s colleagues in the struggle.
For instance, Okah’s faction, the arm of MEND led by ‘General’ Bibi Oduku opposed the meeting even before indications emerged that it would be cancelled. Speaking with our reporter, the leader of the Niger Delta Amnesty Progressive Change for Buhari, faulted the timing and agenda of the meeting.
The group wondered why Tompolo thought it wise to convene a meeting of MEND in the first two months of Buhari’s administration when he failed to take similar step in Jonathan’s four-year tenure.
“What were the developments that came during Jonathan’s government that Buhari has now stopped that we have to meet about? We view this as a gimmick by some persons to gain relevance in the present administration.”
Feelers from the camps of Boyloaf, Ateke and others indicated that they were not favourably disposed to the Yenagoa meeting.
Our Yenagoa reporter said shortly after the planned meeting was made public, Boyloaf kicked against it. Quoting a source, he said, “Boyloaf will not attend the meeting. He has also called on security agencies to be at alert to avert any breakdown of law and order. Apart from him, many other notable ex-militant leaders will not be there.
“It is expected that Africa, Pastor Reuben, Shoot-at-Sight, Ogunboss, Ateke Tom, Farrah and many other former ‘generals’, and ‘commanders’ will boycott the event.”
It was gathered that some leaders of the group were not comfortable that Tompolo took the initiative without contacting and sounding them out, while others were still said to be aggrieved about how Tompolo ‘cornered’ Jonathan and contracts in the past half-decade.
Beyond the fraction within MEND, our check revealed that a cross section of tribal leaders in the region were uncomfortable with ‘threat’ of another crisis, particularly as some parts of the region were yet to recover from the 2007 – 2010 oil war declared by MEND.
“While some few individuals, their family members and clans may have benefited, the larger part of the people have nothing to show for their suffering during the crisis because the benefit was cornered by a few individuals,” an Isoko leader from Delta State said.
Speaking in the same vein, Chief Ayirimi Emami, an Itsekiri community leader, who has a turbulent history with Tompolo, described the botched meeting as uncalled for, noting that the Ijaw leader had no moral justification to convene any meeting on Niger Delta. He noted that after having unfettered access to the seat of power and enjoying “juicy contracts from the Federal Government through NIMASA, pipeline surveillance, maritime security and other forms of undue favours,” he should be grateful for the amnesty programme and be quiet.
“Members of the fractured MEND have been granted amnesty long ago by the Federal Government and whatever the agenda of that meeting should be disregarded by the Buhari administration, which has shown absolute focus. We are determined to give the Buhari administration total support,” Ayiri added.
Also, a cross section of leaders from the region felt that it was too early to assess the Buhari government, since he was yet to appoint ministers and other key officials to drive his agenda.
“Under this kind of situation, what are we going to judge about him? So far, he has started well by trying to clean the Augean stable and although he has made some appointments, it is yet too early. If they need to meet at all, it should be in six months or thereabouts when things are fully in place.”
Nevertheless, feelers from the states indicated that crime rates and other nefarious activities could spiral in the weeks ahead unless the amnesty funds are released to beneficiaries.
“There are thousands of youths who rely on the stipend to cater for their families; if they don’t get payment in the days ahead, they may result to illicit means to make ends meet and this could pose greater challenges for security and peace in the Niger Delta,” a very top member of the Joint Task Force told our reporter on condition of anonymity.
Blame the media
Smarting from the avalanche of negative reaction on the failed meeting, Tompolo issued a clarification shortly after midday on Friday. While lamenting the misconception about his intention, he flayed a “mischievous section” of the media.
In the statement titled “Why I called Saturday meeting”, he said he was “compelled to clarify issues as they relate to the meeting of the leadership of ex-agitators under the platform of MEND and other organisations” because of tension it had generated.
Speaking further, he said, “I consider it unfortunate that a section of the Nigerian nation and the media have chosen to mischievously tread the path of misinforming the public and right thinking person by linking the meeting to whatever decision the current government at the centre may have taken in relation to the stoppage of the pipeline surveillance contract, even though payment have not been made for the services rendered in the renewed contract, or termination of appointments.
“This is highly provocative and despicable,” he added.
Tompolo explained that contrary to the negative reactions his proposed meeting generated, his intention was to help douse the tension building up over the continued delay in payment of amnesty stipends to beneficiaries.
While asserting his leadership of former agitators in the region, particularly due to his role in providing leadership when the idea was first muted, he conceded that there was misconception about the delay. He therefore maintained that it behoves of him to douse the tension and explain the delay to his colleagues before the situation got out of hand.
According to him, “The nation would recall that in the build up to the amnesty offer of the late President, Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, there was hesitation on the part of most of Niger Delta agitators until God in His infinite mercy, granted me wisdom to provide leadership.
“While some of us understand to an extent, the apparent delay in the continued payment of the monthly stipend to the ex-agitators in view of the seeming scrutiny of government agencies, including the Amnesty Office by the current administration, same cannot be said of the majority of beneficiaries of the Amnesty programme.
“To this extent, some of us, particularly myself and other leaders have been under intense pressure from ex-agitators, commanders, individuals, parents and guardians as well as communities who are beneficiaries of the Amnesty programme. While a few see the delay in the payment of their monthly stipends in the light of the need for the current government to settle in properly, others see the delay as a template to stop the programme. The expulsion of some students (home and overseas) by their schools and training institutions particularly has heightened these fears.
“Hence, I thought it wise that a meeting of the collegiate leadership of the platform under which we operated as agitators could be convened to appraise the situation and possibly, explore means to douse the tension that is growing among the disarmed youths whose stipends (training allowances and tuition fees) have been delayed for months.
“This becomes more compelling in view of the fact that as leaders of the platform that served as midwife to the Amnesty offer, we owe the nation a duty to play our roles in order to stem a relapse of the relative peace in the Niger Delta Region.”
Tompolo flayed the tension generated by the meeting, describing it as “uncalled for, diversionary and mischievous”, adding that there was no evil intended in whatever form.
“We appreciate the pressures being mounted by leaders from the region especially as some have expressed concern that the meeting could be misinterpreted to mean the resurgence of hostilities; we say it is not.”
He assured that having embraced peace, “I remain supportive of various governments at all levels, including the President Mohammud Burhari’s government, but wondered why a meeting of the ex-agitators could prop anxiety.”
As at the time of this report yesterday, policemen had taken over the venue of the botched meeting in Yenagoa, while people of the state and beyond went about their normal business.
So far only time will tell if the matter has been laid to rest.
