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Tag: ex-militants

Ex-militants to Buhari: appoint Amnesty Office head

Ex-Militant leaders, under the aegis of the Leadership, Peace and Cultural Development Initiatives (LPCDI), have urged President Muhammadu Buhari to appoint a Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta.

A statement issued yesterday on behalf of the ex—militants by Pastor Reuben Wilson, reads: “We call on the President Buhari to immediately appoint a Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta. This call is sequel to the approval of the number of special advisers by the National Assembly requested by Mr. President and the impending crisis as a result of the vacancy.

“We, therefore, write to implore Mr. President to quickly appoint a credible person as a special adviser to the President on Niger Delta Affairs and Chairman, Presidential Amnesty Programme, which Hon. Kingsley Kuku just vacated. This request is coming on the ground that the absence of the SA/Chairman has hindered the payment of the monthly stipends to the beneficiaries both home and abroad.

“Our brothers and sisters currently schooling abroad on the platform of the Presidential Amnesty Programme are suffering due to lack of funds as they are yet to receive their monthly allowances. There is presently a palpable tension in the Niger Delta region as a result of the non-payment of the monthly stipends for May to the Amnesty beneficiaries.

“It is, therefore, in the interest of peace and stability in the Niger Delta that this situation be nipped in the bud by a speedy appointment of a credible person into the above office. We enjoin Mr. President to treat this matter with the urgency and seriousness it deserves.”

June 17, 2015
Ex-militants, soldiers clash on East-West Road

Protesting ex-militants yesterday clashed with soldiers attached to the Joint Task Force (JTF), Operation Pulo Shield, on the Mbiama axis of the East-West Road.

They trooped to the road about 7am to protest the non-payment of their allowances by the Presidential Amnesty.

The protesters led by the Bayelsa State Third Phase Amnesty Chairman, Mr. Ebi John, were said to have obstructed free traffic flow.

Travellers and motorists were stranded.

Shortly after they barricaded the road, military patrol vans and two Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) driven by armed soldiers arrived.

The soldiers were said to have shot into the air many times to dislodge the youths from the road.

But the youths persisted in their protested and the armoured carriers went after them and in the process hit a woman who was caught up in the protest.

The timely arrive by some members of the Bayelsa State Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) led by the Chairman , Mr. Tiwe Oruminighe brought to situation under control.

Oruminighe appealed to them youth to leave the road to avoid violence and bloodshed.

He said blocking the road was not a solution to their plight, promising that the leadership would seek to resolve the issues.

He said the Federal Government is concerned about the problems of the Niger Delta problems, pleading out President Muhammadu Buhari be given time to solve them.

He said notable APC leaders such as former governors Timipre Sylva, Rotimi Amaechi and Edo State Governor of Edo State, Adams Oshomhole, would not let down the region under the Buhari administration.

Addressing them, he said: “We came here to talk with you to leave the road. It is a federal road and does not belong to Bayelsa State. If you block that road you are not helping the government at the centre which has come to create wealth for us.

“As brothers, I want you to understand that we need to join hands together to give small time to the government to create what we want.

“We have some notable sons and daughters that are already in this government such as Timipre Sylva, Amaechi, Oshomhole and many others who will be taking our matter to the President.

“I want to promise you that your matter will be taken to the highest level and will be addressed in the shortest possible time”.

Also yesterday, activities around the PTI Junction end of the East-West Road in Warri, Delta State were grounded as members of the third phase of the Amnesty Programme took over the road while protesting the non-payment of their stipends for two months.

The protesters they would not located the Director of Finance and Accounts Ayoola Peter to pay them.

The ex-militants, led by the National Secretary of their phase of the programme, Tam Odogwu, alleged that Peter’s cellphone went dead the moment the funds for the payment of the monthly stipends were released to him.

The protest, which started around 7:30am, lasted about one hour, until the protesters were dispersed by a combined team of soldiers and mobile policemen. The rowdy situation disrupted both commercial and vehicular activities.

Addressing reporters, Odogwu alleged that there were still over 10,000 ex-militants awaiting their various reintegration trainings at both home and abroad. He said they were upset over the demeaning treatment which he claimed, may returned them to return to the creeks if nothing was done to redress situation.

He pleaded with President Buhari to expedite payment of their outstanding allowances and make provisions for their trainings.

‘’We are fully in support of President Mohammadu Buhari’s administration but will not tolerate anything that will work contrary to his good plans for Niger Delta Amnesty Programme beneficiaries and we also beg Mr President to continue the programme until the end of his tenure in office,” he said.

The Amnesty Office, in a statement on Wednesday, said the delay in payment had nothing to do with Peter. It blamed it on the change of government and urged the ex-militants to be patient.

June 5, 2015
Ex-militants, soldiers clash in Bayelsa

Protesting ex-militants on Thursday clashed with soldiers attached to the Joint Task Force (JTF), Operation Pulo Shield, along the Mbiama axis of the East-West Road.

The Nation gathered that the ex-militants trooped to the road at about 7am to protest non-payment of their allowances by the Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Office and Special Adviser on Niger Delta, Mr. Kingsley Kuku.

The protesters led by the Bayelsa State Third Phase Amnesty Chairman, Mr. Ebi John, were said to have blocked the road obstructing free flow of traffic.

Travelers and motorists were stranded as the ex-militants chanted war songs, demanding Kuku to pay them without further delay.

Shortly after they barricaded the road, military patrol vans and two Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) driven by armed soldiers were said to have swooped on the youths.

The soldiers reportedly shot into the air many times to dislodge the youths from the road.

While the youths persisted in their protest, the armoured carriers went after them and in the process hit a mad woman who was caught up in the protest.

As the clash between the soldiers and the youths continued, some members of the Bayelsa State Working Committee of the All Progressive Congress (APC) led by the state Chairman of the party, Mr. Tiwe Oruminighe, rushed to the scene.

Oruminighe assembled the protesters and appealed to them to leave the road to avoid violence and bloodshed.

He said blocking the road was not a solution to their plight and promised that the leadership of APC in the state would seek to resolve the issues.

He said the new Federal Government led by President Muhammadu Buhari is genuinely concerned about the problems of the Niger Delta region and should be given time to solve them.

June 4, 2015
Ex-militants seek review of pipeline contract

A group of ex-Niger Delta militants yesterday urged President Muhammadu Buhari to review the pipeline security contract awarded by former President Goodluck Jonathan to some ex-militant leaders.

They also appealed to the President not to scrap the Amnesty Programme as doing so could trigger unrest in the Niger Delta region.

Speaking at a news conference in Abuja, the National President of the group of ex-militants, under the aegis of the National Coalition of Niger DeltaEx-agitators, General Israel Akpodoro, said there was the need to review both the oil pipeline surveillance contract and the amnesty programme, saying they were meant to serve the interest of a few.

Citing fraud and selective treatment in the Federal Government’s palliative programmes, Akpodoro called on Buhari to revisit the two programmes.

Former President Jonathan’s administration in 2012 signed a $103million contract with Global West Vessel Specialist Agency Ltd, a company linked to ex-militant leader, Government Ekpemupolo (aka Tompolo).

Akpodoro, who was flanked by several of the ex-militants, assured President Buhari of their support and urged him to ignore the threats by the leader of Niger Delta Peoples Volunteer Force, Alhaji Mujahid Asari-Dokubo to return to the creeks.

He said: “We are not returning to the creeks. Dokubo-Asari is on his own. Nobody should listen to him and If he makes noise, Buhari should go for him. We are appealing to this government of Buhari to do well for us. The amnesty programme should not be stopped. Boko Haram should lay down their arms and bring their agitation to government and if the amnesty is what they needed, Buhari should do that for them.”

He insisted that pipeline vandalism and kidnapping had remained a problem in the South-South region despite the amnesty programme because “the contract for the protection of pipelines has been hijacked by a cabal”.

Akpodoro said: “I am appealing to Buhari to review the contract for pipelines protection to bring enduring peace in the Niger Delta. Buhari should review the Amnesty Programme because there is a lot of fraud in the programme. He should remove the bad eggs and put the right people who will know the problems of the Niger Delta.”

June 3, 2015
Asari Dokubo statements against Buhari treasonable, says ex-militants

The leader of Niger Delta Volunteer Force, NDVF, Alhaji Asari Dokubo was Monday berated ‎over his utterances against the President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari and the country in general.

The President of the National Coalition of Niger Delta Ex-Agittators(NCNDE-A), ‘General’ Israel Akpodoro, expressed worry over the incessant attacks and vituperations from Dokubo on national issues saying, those threats issued by him were “empty, bear-footed and treasonable”.

Addressing a meeting of the Coalition in Ugheli, Delta State, Akpodoro contended that no section of the country has the power to hold others to ransom.

Dokubo at the commemoration of the late Adaka Boro, in Yenagoa reportedly said he was ready to‎ take on the federal government if the interest of the region was not favourably considered by the incoming All Progressives Congress (APC) led administration.

Akpodoro told Dokubo to stop dragging the region into issues of personal interest stressing that the people of the Delta have decided to embrace peace and not war.

He said the time has come for the likes of Dokubo in the Delta region not only to embrace peace but to also realise that the era of impunity, gangsterism‎ and nepotism was over emphasizing that the ex-militants who supported the APC and his candidate, Buhari before, during and after the elections are not slaves as claimed by Dokubo but that what they did”was a show of unfettered patriotism, solidarity and love to a nation above self-serving and myopic interests.”

The people of Niger Delta region Akpodoro said were already aware of the antics and mischief of those who use the region as a platform for self enrichment pointing out that such era would end with President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.

Rather than continue to be on the opposition to the government, the President of the NCNDE-A urged the leaders of the people in the Delta region to go and preach peace in support of the incoming administration.

He stressed that they stand to gain nothing from crisis but that peaceful approach to issue was an imperative for a better Delta region.

He admonished them to understand that there is a new dawn of equity and positive change around the corner and urged them to eschew crimes and criminality for the region to grow – noting that ‎

“When the struggle for a better Niger Delta began, it was genuine, focused, purposeful…only to be hijacked by people of narrow interests. We as a people have learnt our lessons and as such would not allow ourselves to be goaded into another round of crisis in our region.

“As peac‎e-loving people, the ex-militants have changed from the war- war approach to a much peaceful and decent approach to achieving results. We owe the Nigerian state our patriotism, solidarity, loyalty as long as the federal government gives us an unfettered sense of belonging in the state.

“Whoever engages in any crime under any guise should answer to his crimes without dragging the region along with him. The Delta region comprises of so many ethnic groupings and not only the Ijaws. It therefore follows that Dokubo should speak for those who believe in him amongst his people and not for the entire region,” he stated.

May 25, 2015
Ex-militants, OPC begin N9.3b pipeline jobs today

Barring any last-minute change, former militants and self determination groups will today begin the execution of the N9.3b waterways and oil pipelines contracts.

A memo from the Presidency directed the ex-militants, led by Government Ekpemupolo (aka Tompolo), Mujaheedin Asari-Dokubo and Chief Bipobiri Ajube (aka Gen. Shoot-At-Sight) to take over Nigerian waterways and oil pipeline protection from the police and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) as from March 16.

But the contract execution was said to have been delayed because it was uncertain whether the incoming administration would revoke it.

It was learnt that some of the ex-militants did not have enough arms to man the pipelines and needed more time to get well-equipped for the job.

The Federal Government, it was learnt, is set to make a two-month payment out of the N9.3billion contract sum to the beneficiaries through the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

The exact amount to be paid could not be ascertained last night.

The security agencies will hand over to the militants today, a source said last night.

The contract was signed on March 16. The companies are owned by some former Niger Delta militants and prominent citizens, including founder of the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) Dr. Frederick Fasehun who confirmed that his company was being considered for the multi-billion naira contract.

The OPC National co-ordinator, Otunba Gani Adams, also confirmed to have been awarded the contract, saying it would provide jobs for his “boys”.

Seven companies have been allocated “regions” or operational areas as follows: Egbe Security River One (Bayelsa); Gallery Security (Mosinmi-Ore); Close Body Protection (Edo State); Adex Energy Security(Rivers) ; Donyx Global Concept(Lagos and Ogun); Oil Facilities Surveillance – (Delta) and New Age Global Security (Mosinmi-Ibadan).

The Federal Government was said to have appointed one Engr. Molokwu from the NNPCV Energy and Technical Department as the coordinator.

It was learnt that in 2009, a former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Chief Ufot Ekaette, presented a memo to the Federal Executive Council for the award of the N1.8billion Kurutie Shoreline Protection and Reclamation contract.

A company, KFT Kpudoh, allegedly owned by Tompolo and another called Phoenica Nigeria Limited, bid for the said contract.

Based on the advice of the Bureau of Public Procurement, after a thorough technical audit, the Shoreline Protection and Reclamation Contract was awarded to Phoenica Nigeria Limited by FEC.

But the award of the contract to Phoenica fetched Ekaette death threats. The government later reviewed the contract.

A source in Warri, Delta State, said the contract for pipelines in Delta State would be executed by Oil Field Surveillance Limited, the same company, which had previously handled it. It is owned by Tompolo.

Nigeria has been battling with huge revenue due to vandalism of oil and gas pipeline.

The Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Usman Jibrin, recently announced that Nigeria had been losing an estimated 100,000 barrels of crude oil valued at N1.18 billion daily to oil thieves. This amounts to an annual loss of N433.62 billion.

Pipeline vandalism is said to have led to shortage of gas for firing power plants.

The electricity market, which has 5,500MW installed capacity now generates an average of 3,575.85MW following paucity of gas as vandals who always strike whenever the sector is about to hit 4,500MW”.

Adams was quoted as saying that President Goodluck Jonathan deserves praise for approving a contract for the OPC to protect pipelines across the South-West.

Wide criticisms trailed the president’s approval of the contracts. A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Chief Niyi Akintola, described the plan as an act of corruption which has no precedent anywhere in the world.“Why must we encourage the establishment and operation of ex-militants in securing our oil pipelines? What is the responsibility of the Police and the Navy if the ex-militants are to be saddled with the responsibility?” he asked.

Lagos lawyer Festus Keyamo blasted the Federal Government for conceiving the idea in the first place, saying: “It is irresponsible of the Federal Government to give up part of its security to individuals. The money that would be given to such people should be used to equip the Police and the Navy. If this is done, they will perform better.”

Retired Police Commissioner Abubarkar Tsav blamed the plan on the desperation of President Jonathan to win the election at all costs.

Second Republic lawmaker Dr Junaid Mohammed said: “You can’t hire out the functions of the government to an individual no matter how connected they are…”

April 27, 2015
Pipeline security and ex-militants
SIR: As the euphoria of the Presidential Election douses, the APC must be aware of the enormous tasks ahead in bringing the chant of ‘change’ to reality because the expectations of Nigerians are very high as regards what the in-coming dispensation will bring to the table in terms of formulation of policies and their implementation.

Meanwhile, one of the problems militating against the peace of the country is unemployment and it will do the image of General Muhammadu Buhari (GMB) administration good to take analytical look at the situation, immediately he is sworn-in on May 29, in a bid to reducing unemployment to the barest minimum. One of the options he should exploit to tackle the problem of unemployment is the issue of security of our petroleum pipelines across the length and breadth of the country.

Instead of the contract awarded to Oodua People Congress (OPC) and other ex-militants, the GMB administration should employ more personnel into Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and other relevant security agencies as a means of creating employment for the teeming unemployed youth. By this, the government would have also taken care of the problem of securing our petroleum pipelines and other government properties against vandals. It will go a long way in achieving the administration’s electoral promise of creating close to a million jobs in its first year in office.

On the other hand, the government should procure required equipment and weaponry needed to the personnel of the corps to function effectively well.

Handing over the surveillance and security of our petroleum pipelines to militant groups, be they ex- or current militants, can never be said to be the best option in solving the problem of pipelines vandalism and other related offences in the country. Instead, it will lead to a situation where weapons will be in wrong hands and this will constitute security threat to our society in the long run.
- Saidi Salami
Itire, Lagos.
April 20, 2015
NIMASA blows over N2b on hotels for ex-militants

• It isn’t true, says spokesman

For allegedly blowing N2 billion in hotel bills for former Niger Delta militants, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) may have run into trouble with the Ministry of Transport (MoT).

NIMASA is said to have spent the money in the past four years on keeping the former militants in hotels in Abuja, Port Harcourt and Lagos.

It was learnt that the Minister of Transport, Senator Idris Umar, his officials and NIMASA account staff were shocked when they learnt of the bills.

The minister, it was gathered, was furious over the spending, which he considered reckless, considering that over 90 per cent was spent on former militants in exotic hotels.

The discovery of the huge bills, it was learnt, has caused a row between the management and the staff.

NIMASA Deputy Director, Public Relations (DDPR) Mr. Isichei Osamgbi denied the story. “Completely false. There is no such thing,” he said.

But, according to a senior NIMASA official, some of the ex-militants lived, dined and wined in their hotels for over a year.

An official of one of the hotels in Lagos said the bills rose to over N2 billion because whenever the ex-militants travelled, they refused to submit their keys and returned to their rooms after their trips.

He said when the ex-militants moved into the hotel, NIMASA did not say when they would leave nor write the management that it would no longer foot the bills.

“The agency did not write us that they will no longer be responsible for the hotel bills.’’

Sources at the Ministry of Transport said some senior officials of the agency had, in the past few days, been trying to keep the information relating to the bills from the public, he said.

A ministry official urged the incoming administration to investigate the matter, saying: “The All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government and the National Assembly must look into this spending spree by NIMASA. It is a source of great concern to us for agencies under our watch to be spending public funds the way the current management of NIMASA is doing.”

He said the agency’s conduct goes contrary to the government policy on fiscal reform.

“The money is public money. The leadership of the agency must be made to account for it. Why should the management allow people who have nothing to contribute to the agency stay in five-star hotels for years?

“The N2 billion bill is a disaster to public relations (PR) and pure maladministration.”

Sources at some of the hotels revealed that the ex-militants splurged on expensive foods and drinks.

“It is disgusting and highly despicable. The management of the agency took advantage of its privileged position to spend public funds the way it liked. Those people enjoyed expensive drinks during their stay in the hotels.

“There is no doubt that the country is in a financial crisis. The price of crude oil has dropped at the international market and the Federal Government has devalued the naira. Therefore, the N2 billion hotel bill is completely unethical, uncharitable, shameful and selfish. It is offensive to millions of Nigerians. The decision to keep the militants in the hotels is silly, despicable and shameful,” the official said.

April 7, 2015
Ex-militants endorse Buhari, Emerhor

Ex-Niger Delta militants, under the aegis of Coalition of Association of Ex-Agitators, have endorsed the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Gen. Muhammadu Buhari and the Delta State governorship candidate, Olorogun O’tega Emerhor.

They said President Jonathan had failed the people of the Niger Delta region and the nation.

Speaking at the endorsement at De Klass Hotel, Ughelli South Local Government Area, its National President, General Israel Apkodero said the ex-militants came to the decision because the President only empowered his Ijaw brothers to the detriment of other ethnic nationalities in Niger Delta.

Akpodero said the the Ijaw people are the exclusive beneficiaries of the amnesty programme, adding that the President fooled the Urhobo with a ministerial appointment to Chief Steven Oru a few months to the elections, to attract Delta Central votes.

The ex-militant said they endorsed Buhari following his pedigree and record as an upright leader.

He said the group was expressing its bitterness and displeasure at the neglect of the Urhobo by the PDP government of President Jonathan and to fault the manner the amnesty programme was handled.

March 23, 2015
‘Govt’s award of pipeline contracts to ex-militants an affront’

Mr Edward Ekpoko, Secretary of the Itsekiri Leaders of Thought and chairman of the Warri Study Group, in this interview with SHOLA O’NEIL, reacts to statements made by his kinsman and former Minister of State for Defence Dr Rowland Oritsejafor on the award of security contracts to ex-militants. Ekpoko, a lawyer, also speaks on the unending postponement of the $16bn gas project, among others.

The former Minister of State for Defence, Dr Rowland Oritsejafor, recently said in an interview that the Fed Govt is right to award security contracts to ex-militants in the Niger Delta r, what is you view?

There are two issues in that interview that bother me. His position that the Federal Government was right to have awarded the contracts to ex-militants and where he said that the Ijaw militants’ threat of war if President Jonathan does not win the presidential election, which he also supported, because he said that it was a reaction to similar threats made by some persons in the north.

Let me start by saying that I am utterly disappointed in Dr Oritsejafor, not only me; the entire Itsekiri people are disappointed in him. What he has said is an assault on the sensibility of the Itsekiri people. He should realise that the Ijaw, going by their antecedents, when they make such threats of going to war, do they have common boundary with the northerners that they are threatening to fight with? They normally start with the Itsekiri. That has been the case and that is what is happening in the EPZ that has not even started. They have started attacking Itsekiri people.

So, for Oritsejafor to just come from nowhere and say what he said is an assault and affront on the Itsekiri people. As a matter of fact, after his inglorious exit as a minister, where he did not do anything for the Itsekiri people, since then the Itsekiri people have forgotten about him; no one knew where he was until he resurfaced and began to talk like someone who has lost touch with his people. The Itsekiri only remember him for one thing: he is the one who introduced the politics of mediocrity, where you have mediocre holding public offices. When we are talking serious issues about Itsekiri nation, no one mentions him. That he was a former minister for defence or a chief doesn’t make anything. When it comes to serious Itsekiri matter, he has no right to speak on it because he has lost touch with the Itsekiri people and he is disconnected and no on relates with him. I don’t know whether he is seeking political relevance now; but what kind of political relevance is he seeking in a sinking ship, where people are jumping from?

How do the Itsekiri people feel about the failure of Mr President to perform the groundbreaking ceremony for the third time?

What it portends is that the Itsekiri have no place in the PDP agenda and their reckoning. Jonathan does not think of the Itsekiri; as far as he is concern, the Niger Delta is synonymous with the Ijaw. Look at the history of his Presidency, what has he done for us? Nothing. The only thing that could have been his achievement he has refused to commission. The project in the first place, was located there not because Jonathan loves the Itsekiri, but because of the nature of the place and it is investment friendly. If it was something that he has total control over I know they won’t take it there. But since he is there he has refused to commission it because the Ijaw are making unfounded allegations that they are owners of the land, which he knows is false but because of the Ijaw agenda which he has, people are now sponsoring the Ijaw to make this trouble.

The annoying part of it all is that on the 27th of February when he came to Asaba, before the Olu and leaders of Itsekiri, he told us that he was going to commission the project in March and he was going to meet with Governor Uduaghan and the date would be communicated to us. March 16 was communicated to us, but up till now the courtesy of even reaching the Itsekiri people that the ceremony has been postponed was not there. He ignored us and treated us with levity as if the Itsekiri are nobody. We are not prepared to accept that and the only way the Itsekiri can tell him and any other political officeholder in Nigeria that they cannot be treated like that is to use their votes to express their bitterness and that is what I have been hammering on. I will continue to do that until the Election Day; Itsekiris will be moving from door to door to sensitise our people on their rights and how they should vote. They have right to vote for any candidate, but they are going to be guided. They cannot use their votes to enslave themselves.

There is the contention by the Ijaws of Ogulagha that they own part of the land for the EPZ project and the President possibly stayed away for security reasons…

The President has not told us anything about that or why he stayed away from today (March 16) ceremony again. But if that is the reason, government acquired land for this project, from whom did it acquire the land? If you know that government acquired your land falsely and ascribed the ownership of that land to another person, the law court is there, go and challenge it. Why should you resort to arms? Are we in the jungle where people resolve to force of arm to settle issues? They should go to the law court to challenge it, but they won’t because they feel they have the President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces as their kinsman and the security of our waterways is in the hands of an ex-militant who is their kinsman. They think the entire Niger Delta is in their grip and they can do anything and the court does not mean anything to them.

Are you worried that the EPZ project could die without leaving the drawing board?

As a matter of fact, speaking from the bottom of my heart, I am no longer keen about President Jonathan coming to commission it. Somebody would commission it one day, but we are no longer keen about Jonathan.

I know it could be part of the Ijaw agenda to move the project from the Itsekiri area to an Ijaw area but the Itsekiri man would not because of this project make ourselves to be slaves to the Ijaw or to President Jonathan. We have our dignity, which we stand on.

Pipeline surveillance contract is causing furrow in Itsekiri land, do you think it is a ploy to scurry for votes?

Any Itsekiri man that is worth his salt, a true Itsekiri man will never betray the Itsekiri cause. At worst, those beneficiaries have one vote and the Itsekiris know where they are going and they know who their true leaders are. The people in PDP are not their leaders because they have failed them and the people know. Some of those so-called PDP leaders cannot even go to their villages. The Itsekiri know what they are doing; you can give the contract to an Itsekiri man, give him a billion contracts, he cannot sell the Itsekiri people because everyone has his vote and they know where they are going. We are not going to force them to vote for whom they don’t want; that is where the card reader comes in and that is what INEC has been saying. Gone are those days; no one can write results and declare people as winners without election.

How has the Itsekiri nation fared since the past 16 years of unbroken democracy; do you think that you are better off today?

We are not better off today. Since the inception of this democracy, the Itsekiri have not made the desired progress. The reason being that we are represented by incompetent persons both at the legislative and executive arms of government.

March 20, 2015