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Tag: Tompolo

  • Tompolo’s fate uncertain as Osinbajo visits Delta

    Tompolo’s fate uncertain as Osinbajo visits Delta

    Security has been tightened around Warri waterways  and other parts of coastal Delta State.

    It is all part of  Vice President Yemi Osinbajo’s visit today to Oporoza and other communities in Warri Southwest Local Government Area.

    Oporoza, the traditional headquarters of Gbaramatu kingdom, is the home of Government Ekpemupolo (AKA Tompolo), former MEND leader, who isfingered as the ringleader of the new militants group, the Niger Delta Avengers, which has unleashed mayhem on the oil industry. He has severally denied the link with the group.

    The Vice President is leading a Federal Government delegation to oil communities in Delta, Bayelsa and Rivers states, in the search for peace in the oil-rich delta.

    Osinbajo will begin the first leg of the peace shuttle today at Oporoza, where he will meet the monarch, then the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Ikenwoli and the Ovie of Ughelli, Oharisi III.

    He will also visit Kurutie, the temporary site of the  NIMASA University, which the Federal Government is yeat to build. This is believed to have contributed to the insurgency.

    Osinbajo had said on twitter, on Saturday: “I will be leading a high-level FG delegation to oil-producing communities, interacting with people in 3 states.

    He added: “We proceed to Bayelsa and Rivers states at a later date to be announced soon.”

    The VP’s visit continues a pattern started by then Vice President Goodluck Jonathan in 2007, early in the Musa Yar’Adua administration’s effort to halt the wanton destruction of oil facilities by the militant group MEND.

    During that visit, nearly a decade ago, Jonathan had a private meeting with Ekpemupolo at the dreaded Camp 5 headquarters of MEND.

    At the time of this report, it was not clear if Osinbajo would meet Tompolo for a face-to-face discussion or through surrogates.

    Security sources told our reporter that the government sees Tompolo as a key component of any effort to halt the spate of bombings by the NDA and other copycats.

    Some of the militant groups have made the withdrawal of Tompolo’s corruption trial by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) a condition for peace.

    Tompolo is believed to be out of the country.

    However, the specter of the former MEND leader will be looming large over whatever activity takes place in Oporoza and over whomever the kingdom chooses to lead talks with the delegation.

    “There have been so many reports on Tompolo’s whereabouts, but that will not be the issue tomorrow (Monday); the issue that the will be discussed will be peace.

    “There cannot be peace in the waterways of Delta and other parts of the region without Tompolo’s involvement one way or the other. The Vice President will meet with community leaders from Gbaramatu, but Tompolo will loom large in their discussions.

    “I can tell you that he will be the person meeting with Prof Osinbajo because anybody sitting on that table for discussion will have his blessing and will be carrying his message,” a security expert told our reporter on condition of anonymity.

  • Tompolo, kinsman trade accusations over pipelines bombings

    Tompolo, kinsman trade accusations over pipelines bombings

    Embattled former leader of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta Chief Government Ekpemupolo has disavowed threats to attack oil facilities in the Niger Delta.

    Some groups recently vowed to resume attacks on oil facilities, unless the EFCC drops fraud  charges against Tompolo.

    But Tompolo not only dissociated himself from the threats and links with the groups, he fingered one of his opponents as the mastermind.

    Speaking through his media consultant , Comrade Paul Bebenimibo, Tompolo “unequivocally dissociates himself from this threat as he did not send anyone to attack oil facilities in the Niger Delta region because of his case with the EFCC”.

    He fingered his kinsman and an All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain Chief Michael Johnny as being behind the allegation.

    The allegation, he noted,  ”is coming two days after one Michael Johnny accused Tompolo in a television programme, ‘State of the Nation’, of being behind the bombing of oil facilities in the Niger Delta region.

    “Information at the disposal of security agencies indicates that a suspect in their custody had confessed that Michael Johnny sent him (the suspect) to bomb oil facilities.

    Tompolo said he has instructed his lawyers to sue Johnny for “malicious damage”.

    “Tompolo has said in many occasions that he would not resort to violence and bombing of oil facilities because of his case with the EFCC.”

    However, in a telephone conversation with our reporter, Chief Johnny, who is chairman of the Egbema/Gbaramatu Communities Development Council, insisted that Tompolo was culpable, daring him to turn himself to the security agencies  to refute the allegations.

    He said: “Tompolo is behind the bombings; he has been deceiving Mr President that he is the only one that can call the boys (militants) to order.

    “Security operatives will confirm what I am telling you and everybody knows. I am a Gbaramatu man. I cannot destroy my own community for any reason.

    “He wants to bomb his way out of problem.

    “All those arrested in connection with the bombing are his boys; even the one who is now claiming as the person who accused me was his commander that has been used to threaten my life in the past,” Johnny added.

    Besides, Johnny noted that he had no reason to cripple an APC government, stressing that even while he was in opposition against the past PDP administration he did not attack oil facilities to make his points

    “The antecedent of Tompolo would confirm that he is known to create problem to benefit from it. This has now become an APC/PDP problem. They want to cripple the APC-led government,” Jojnny added.

  • Any N/Delta meeting without Tompolo will fail – activist 

    Any N/Delta meeting without Tompolo will fail – activist 

    A Niger Delta activist, Comrade Paul Bebenimibo, has said that any meeting of Niger Delta leaders with President Muhammadu Buhari without the former militant leader, Government Ekpemupolo (popularly known as Tompolo), will fail to achieve the desired results.

    Comrade Bebenimibo said those parading themselves as Niger Delta leaders are not in touch with the people or are abreast with the issues of the region.

    Bebenimibo in a press statement issued in Benin City urged the Federal Government to make effort to identify the true stakeholders in the Niger Delta to achieve peace in the region.

    He stated that the commencement of the Maritime University at Okerenkoko and the private sector driven $16 billion EPZ project, would guarantee a conducive atmosphere for dialogue.

    According to him, “We are happy that our leaders at talking with the Federal Government but the truth is that from the information from the grass root, the Federal government should also identify true stakeholders like High Chief Government Ekpemupolo. Government should identify such people to work with because he understands the terrain, he has the capacity to check militancy and above all, his humanitarian gesture has brought him closer to the people.

    “And when he speaks, the youths listens, so they need him. Majority of us are expressing this view because some of the leaders the Federal government is speaking with are not in touch with our people, as a result they cannot change anything. And if they go on with such people nothing will be achieved I can tell you.

    “For us to guarantee immediate peace and commence talks for the development of the Niger delta, the Federal government should kick off the Maritime university at Okerenkoko. Secondly, the private sector driven sixteen billion dollars EPZ project should start immediately to provide employment and business opportunities for our people.

    “These are the two projects that will guarantee immediate peace in the Niger Delta and conducive atmosphere in the region for government to implement other programmes and to also have hitch free crude oil business” he stated.

  • NIMASA: Tompolo’s contract not cancelled

    NIMASA: Tompolo’s contract not cancelled

    The contract of a militant leader, Chief Government Ekpemupolo, aka Tompolo, with the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has not been cancelled, its Director General, Dr Dakuku Peterside, has disclosed.

    Peterside, however, revealed the model of the contract was abused, making it a subject of investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    He spoke yesterday in Port Harcourt in an interactive session with reporters after attending the burial of a chieftain of the All Progressive, Congress (APC) Chief Godpower Ake at his Erema hometown in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni LGA of Rivers State.

    The APC governorship candidate in the 2015 elections said: “The contract is you, Global West, go and acquire assets for NIMASA. Acquire security boats, acquire intervention vessels and acquire helicopters.

    “When you acquire all those things, we will pay you back within a period of ten years. Now, you help us in the enforcement and whatever revenue you generate above what we are earning now, it will be shared between Global West and NIMASA.

    “That is a different contract and it is still subsisting till now. It has not been cancelled. It was not terminated. I will continue to say that there was nothing wrong with that model but that model was abused and it is subject to investigation by the EFCC.”

    Peterside, a former member of the House of Representatives, also refuted allegation that he awarded contract to Rivers Chairman of APC, Chief Davies Ikanya, describing it as untrue, baseless and frivolous.

    He said: “What was given to Sneco is debt recovery and revenue enhancement. That is a different contract.

    “The APC Chairman in Rivers State is not a director in Sneco. He is not a shareholder and he is not on the board of Sneco.

    “So, what is the connection between the APC Chairman in Rivers State and Sneco Financial Services?”

    Peterside said he decided to avoid commenting on the performance of Governor Nyesom Wike of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as a matter of personal principle.

  • Tompolo: Associates seek to quash N47.6b fraud charge

    Tompolo: Associates seek to quash N47.6b fraud charge

    • Keyamo’s absence stalls trial as workers protest
    Some associates of wanted Niger Delta militant, Chief Government Ekpemupolo (alias Tompolo), have asked the Federal High Court in Lagos to quash a N47.8billion fraud charge brought against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
    Tompolo and others were arraigned in absentia on April 18 on 22 counts of conspiracy, stealing, advance fee fraud and money laundering.
    He was charged along with a former Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency’s (NIMASA’s) Director-General Dr Patrick Akpobolokemi, who pleaded not guilty.
    Others are Kime Engozu, Josephine Otuaga, Rita Uruakpa, Mieka Dive Training Institute Ltd/GTE, Oyeinteke Global Network Limited, Wabod Global Resources Ltd, Boloboere Properties Estate Ltd, Gokaid Marine Oil and Gas Ltd, Muhaabix Global Services Ltd and Watershed Associated Resources.
    Also named in the charge are Akpobolokemi’s four brothers – Victor, Nobert, Emmanuel and Clement – said to be at large. They were said to have aided the suspects commit the fraud.
    The trial was stalled due to the absence of prosecution counsel Mr Festus Keyamo, who wrote to inform the court that a principal prosecution witness would not be available.
    One of the defence counsel, Mr. Oyesoji Oyeleke (SAN), said he filed a preliminary objection challenging the competence of the charge.
    He argued that since the prosecution failed to depose to an affidavit stating that it had concluded its investigation, the court should strike out the charge.
    Another defence counsel, Mr. Sylvester Ekweme, representing one of Akpobolokemi’s brothers, Clement, said his client had been in detention since April, adding that his bail application was still pending.
    EFCC alleged that the defendants conspired among themselves to defraud the Federal Government of the sum between December 2, 2014 and last April 10.
    The EFCC claimed that the accused persons of “falsely pretending to the Federal Government that a parcel of land and its appurtenances situated at Mieka Dive Training Institute, Kurutie, Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State had been acquired by NIMASA for the temporary campus of the Nigerian Maritime University, Okerenkoko.”
    The alleged offence violates Section 1 (b) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other fraud related Offences Act, 2006 and were liable to punishment under Section 1(3) of the same Act.
    The defendants were also accused of swindling the Federal Government to the tune of N11.940billion, by presenting a forged Certificate of Customary Right of Occupancy of Bendel State of Nigeria dated May 6, 2014 to NIMASA on the false claim that the forged document was genuine and issued by Warri South-West Local Council, Delta State.
    Some staff members of Global West Vessel Specialist Limited stormed the court yesterday to protest the alleged non-payment of their salaries for 15 months.
    The company was charged along with Tompolo, Akpobolokemi and others in a separate case.
    EFCC, in the 40-count charge before also before Justice Ibrahim Buba, said the suspects allegedly diverted N34 billion for personal use.
    It alleged the money accrued from the public private partnership agreement between NIMASA and Global West Vessel Specialist, said to be owned by Tompolo.
    The workers said due to the freezing of the company’s accounts, their salaries had not been paid for the past 15 months.
    They bore placards, which read: “Global West is not owned by Tompolo”, “We are suffering, some of our colleagues have died in the process”, “Global West Vessel Specialist Limited workers need our 15 months salaries” and “Mr President save our soul; we are in support of your government, we are not militants”.
    One of the workers, Roland Omobude, said: “If the company has a case, are we, the workers, to suffer for this case? Can’t they identify the people that are involved in this case and pick them up? Let them pay us our salary. Some of our colleagues have died. About four or five people have died in the process. We are about 350 workers; we are in Lagos, Port Harcourt, Warri and Bayelsa.
     “They said the EFCC has frozen the accounts of Global West and since they’ve frozen the account since last year when this new Buhari regime came, nothing has been done. And without them defreezing this account nothing can be done. We are begging the Federal Government, we are begging everybody in this country to come to our aid; we are suffering.”
    Justice Ibrahim Buba adjourned the first case till November 10 for hearing of pending applications. He fixed trial for December 13 and 14.
  • Tompolo to judge: Refer my case to Appeal Court

    Tompolo to judge: Refer my case to Appeal Court

    Wanted ex-Niger Delta militant leader, Chief Government Ekpemupolo (alias Tompolo), on Tuesday asked Justice Mojisola Olatoregun-Ishola of the Federal High Court in Lagos to refer his case to the Court of Appeal for determination.
    Tompolo is seeking an order “nullifying, voiding, striking down and expunging sections 221 and 306 from the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015 to the extent of their inconsistency with the 1999 Constitution.”
    The applicant said the issues raised in his suit were novel. According to him, since there is no precedent, it would be better for the Court of Appeal to determine the case as any decision reached on the case“would affect many criminal and civil cases all over Nigeria where the ACJA is being applied.”
    In a supporting affidavit deposed to by Oladapo Sofola, Tompolo said: “A decision of this court on these issues will eventually be submitted to the Court of Appeal for review. Valuable time and resources will be saved if these issues are henceforth referred by this honourable court to the Court of Appeal as requested. The interest of justice will be better served if the substantial issues of law are so referred.”
    Through his lawyer Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, Tompolo said sections 221 and 306 of the ACJA were unconstitutional because they prevent a court from entertaining any objection to a criminal charge or an application for stay of proceedings pending appeal.
    Section 221 says: “Objections shall not be taken or entertained during proceedings or trial on the ground of an imperfect or erroneous charge.” Section 306 says: “An application for stay of proceedings in respect of a criminal matter before a court shall not be entertained.”
    Tompolo wants the Court of Appeal to determine the following: (1) whether the ACJA sections are in consonance with sections 4 (8) 6 and 36 of the 1999 Constitution; (2) whether the sections are in consonance with Article 7 (1) (d) of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act of 2004; and (3) whether the sections do not constitute flagrant violations of the guaranteed constitutional right of the applicant.
    Opposing Tompolo’s application, Attorney-General of the Federation, represented by Tolu Mukoro, urged the court to dismiss it. He said the Section 45 of the 1999 Constitution permits the government to enact any law such as the ACJA.
    He further submitted that since Tompolo has been consistently absent in the main criminal proceedings leading to the civil suit, he should not be allowed to take benefit of his wrongdoing to obtain any favour from the court.
    Counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Mohammed also urged the court to dismiss the suit.
    Justice Ibrahim Buba, before whom criminal charges against Tompolo are pending, had on January 14, issued a warrant for Tompolo’s arrest. But Tompolo, on January 27, filed an application to set the warrant aside. OnFebruary 8, Justice Buba dismissed the application. Tompolo thereafter appealed the ruling on February 18.
    EFCC, on March 22, arraigned Tompolo in absentia over N34billion fraud after he failed to turn up despite being declared wanted. He was said to be “at large” in the charge.

    He was also absent on April 18 when his co-accused, former Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Director-General Dr Patrick Akpobolokemi and others, were arraigned for alleged N22.7 billion fraud. He was also said to be “at large”.

    Justice Olatoregun-Ishola adjourned until December 12 for ruling on Tompolo’s application.
  • Tompolo’s dad dies in Warri

    Tompolo’s dad dies in Warri

    Chief Thomas Ekpemupolo, father of ex-militant leader Chief Government Ekpemupolo (aka Tompolo), has died.

    He was 84.

    Chief Ekpemupolo reportedly passed away early yesterday at a private clinic, Lily Clinic, in Warri, Delta State, after a brief illness.

    A close family source, Paul Bebenimibo, who confirmed the death, said the man died, following injuries sustained during military expeditions into his community in Gbaramatu Kingdom.

    Bebenimibo, who is Tompolo’s spokesman, also recalled that the former militant leader, who is hiding, once spoke about the injury his father sustained when soldiers invaded his home at Kurutie.

    Another close family source said the octogenarian’s injury was compounded by the rough experience he was subjected to during the military operation, adding that he was moved from one place to another.

    The source added: “He died at past 5 am at Lily Clinic in Warri. He should be over 80 years. He’s been ill for a while, like a couple of months, even before the invasion. Although it was not that serious, but you know kind of illness associated with the aged.

    “He went through some stress because they had to take him from Kurutie to Kunukunuma, from Kunukunuma to Warri, because he was not sure of his safety and whether or not he would be arrested. So, he had to be running from one village to the other in the coastal area before he was finally moved to Warri.

    “About two months ago, he had a problem with one of his legs, which had to be amputated. He finally gave up this morning (yesterday).”

    A Gbaramatu community leader from Kokodiagbene, Comrade Sheriff Mulade, described Ekpemupolo’s death as a shock to the kingdom.

    He said: “The news came to us as a shock because he was a gem. We didn’t expect to lose him at these trying times. We pray for courage and fortitude for his family. We sympathise with his immediate family.”

    The Ijaw Youths Council (IYC), in an electronic statement yesterday, described the chief’s death as unfortunate and painful.

    It said: “The IYC received with shock the demise of Chief Ekpemupolo, father of Chief Government Ekpemupolo, in the early hours of , September 7, in Warri, Delta State. The death is unfortunate and painful, especially considering the fact that he died while suffering from injuries he sustained while running from military rampage in Kurutie community of Gbaramatu Kingdom, early this year.

    “Indeed, Chief Ekpemupolo is a victim of the military’s unlawful invasion of innocent people and communities of the Niger Delta region in the name of looking for militants. Chief Ekpemupolo has paid the supreme price for the Niger Delta people and cause.

    “The IYC sympathises with the Ekpemupolo family, Gbaramatu Kingdom and the Ijaw nation on this untimely demise. However, the struggle for the betterment of the Niger Delta people continues.”

  • Tompolo and his men can’t withstand us -Itsekiri People’s Congress founder Ekwejunor-Etchie

    Prince IsholaEkwejunor-Etchie is the founder of Itsekiri People’s Congress a.k.a.Agbukumasa. The group came into existence as a result of some problems that confronted the Itsekiriethnic nationality between 1997 and 2003.  Ekwejunor-Etchie bares his mind on the alleged neglect of Itsekiriland by the governments at federal and state levels, but he says his group will never be part of the destructive campaigns of the Niger Delta Avengers. He spoke with HANNAH OJO

    What was the motivation for the establishment ofItsekiri People’s Congress?

    The Itsekiri People’s Congress came into existence as a result of the problems that confronted the Itsekiri nation between 1997 and 2003. The problem then was the issue of the headquarters of Warri South Local Government, which degenerated into a suicidal war between us and our Ijaw brothers. It got to a crescendo in 2003 where virtually all Itsekiri villages were burnt.

    It suffices to say at this point that the Nigerian state forsook the Itsekiri nation. They could not provide security for us at that time and even up till now.  The Ijaw, then led by Tompolo, killed and maimed Itsekiri sons and daughters, so we resorted to self-help. That self-help gave birth to Itsekiri People’s Congress a.k.a. Agbukumasa.  The average Itsekiri man knows the meaning of Agbukumasa. It means we don’t run away from death.

    What has been your approach in agitating for the rights of the Itsekiri nation? Do you resort to militancy or dialogue?

    It was as a result of failure on the part of the Nigerian state that we went into getting arms to defend ourselves. But after the resolution of the crisis in 2004, we dropped our arms because the Itsekiri man is not known for violence. If you go into history, you will discover that the typical Itsekiri man has no penchant for violence. We believe in dialogue.

    When the issue of amnesty came up, we returned all our arms to the federal government. But suffice to say that the federal government did not give the Itsekiri any amnesty slot.

    The reason was that the amnesty was politicised. The government of the day at that time was skewed to the Ijaw nation so the Itsekiri nation was marginalised.  It took a lot of pressure before they were able to give the Itsekiri nation some slots of the amnesty, which does not conform to the reason for the amnesty.  Up till today, the Itsekiri man languishes in abject poverty in the midst of plenty.

    The general impression is that poverty is something that is peculiar that applies to the whole of Niger Delta. Why make a case solely for the Itsekiri?

    It looks as if it is just only the Ijaw that are in the Niger Delta. No! The Itsekiri are also prominent in the region. I want to make it clear to you that Itsekiri land produces more than 30 per cent of the oil revenue of this country.  And the Itsekiri nation also has gas reserve.  The contribution of the Itsekiri nation to the economy of this country, compared to what theItsekiriget in return, is nothing to write home about. The fact is that we don’t have a pedigree for violence. That is the reason why we are coming out now. We are coming out to make the government know that our silence does not mean that we don’t know our rights.

    The Itsekiri nation has no electricity, no schools, no potable water and no health facilities.  I make bold to ask anybody to go and visit Itsekiri land. I visited recently and I have a video clip to show to the whole world. We cannot continue like this. The government does not think about us, not to talk of the oil industry.

    What was the relationship between the region and government during the dispensation of former President Goodluck Jonathan?

    The typical Itsekiri man has a lot of pride in him because of his upbringing. When Jonathan was there as president, he was skewed more to the Ijaw people and he abandoned the Itsekiri people. You can see how long it took Jonathan to come and commission the EPZ project in Ugborodo and you can see the political undertone that took place in that time. But where is the EPZ today? It is a white elephant project that has not seen the light of day.

    Since 1965 when Gulf Oil came intoItsekiri land to explore oil, they have been contributing steadily to the economyof this country. But the Nigerian government, I make bold to say, has not taken care of us.  The places where the oil comes from are not even protected.

    What has been the contribution of prominent Itsekiri sons and daughters to the agitation of the Itsekiri nation?

    The only nationally acclaimed Itsekiri man which this country recognised was the late Chief Festus Sam Okoti-Eboh. Obasanjo gave the minister of state for defence portfolio to DrOritsejafor for just two days. For a land that produces 30 percent of the economic stay of this country, as I speak with you, there is no minister, no special adviser or assistant to the president from the Itsekiri nation. There are no ambassadorial appointments given to an Itsekiri man. Are you trying to tell me that we are not educated but our land is good enough to extract economic stay? It is not done anywhere in the world.

    What is your relationship with some other militant groups in the Niger Delta, particularly the Niger Delta Avengers?

    I told you originally that the Itsekiri man has no penchant forviolence. So we don’t apply ourselves to violent approach to agitation.  We do our things genuinely, with intelligence. We don’t destroy our ecosystem or our property in the name of agitation. Agitation is done all over the world, but not through violence.

    Not that the Itsekiri man cannot give violence. The ijaw man is a good witness to the kind of violence the Itsekiri can give. Me speaking to you, Tompolo knows me. I fought him to a standstill and drove him out of the Niger Delta. I am the founder of Agbukumasa and it came into existence as a result of the self-help we resorted to. I don’t have a pedigree for anything violence, I came from a very strong family. My father was a minister under Chief ObafemiAwolowo.

    My father, Chief G.E Ekpejunor-Etchie was a royal.He was the chief-priest of the Warri kingdom.  I have taken after him. I cannot sit down and allow my people to be marginalised to this great extent.  If you go to the armed forces, hardly will you see an Itsekiri man. When an Itsekiri man wants to go to the armed forces, they skew him out of the system. Is it wrong to be a minority? We are being oppressed by other minorities like the Ijaw, the Urhobo and so on. The big brother up there who is supposed to give us cover is not doing anything.  That is why we are calling on the federal government of Nigeria not to undermine our being quiet.

    The immediate past governor of Delta State, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan, is an Itsekiri man and some people believe that some of his projects were done to favour of Itsekiri people. What is your reaction to this?

    Uduaghan claims he is an Itsekiri man. But if he is really Itsekiri thick in the blood, he will be more of Itsekiri than any other person. He was governor for eight years. I challenge you to go ask him what he did for Itsekiri land in the last eight years. Uduaghan was operating with a cabal.

    Who are the cabal?

    The Itsekiri people will identify them when the time is right.

    Are the cabal’s members alsoItsekiri?

    It is the Itsekri people who at the appropriate timewill determine whether they are Itsekiri or not.  I won’t mention names but the cabal in question, only very few of them are Itsekiri by gene.  The others are Okpe, Igbo and Ijaw.

    And you believe these cabal stopped the former governor from executing a concrete development work in Itsekiri land?

    They didn’t stop him from doing it. I think a righteous leader must create wealth for his people.  So you must have a vision. If he had a vision for the Itsekiri nation, the Itsekiri would not have remained in squalor after eight years of an acclaimed Itsekiri man as governor.  These cabals are the ones given contracts to build the health centres. They will build it half way and leave it, and the government will not check them. If a project is not completed and I certify it okay, I’m I not an accomplice?

    You see abandoned projects in Itsekiri lands and the government did not ensure to see that these projects are completed.

    There are no impacts of the development funds given to the Niger Delta region. Are you saying government alone should be held responsible or some people in the communities who divert project funds through corrupt practices also?

    From 1999 when the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) was established for the development of the Niger Delta region, have you ever seen an audited account or an audited report of NDDC? Is it not a government commission? From 1999 till date, NDDC has never been audited. We don’t know the contracts that are given to anybody. We don’t know the contractors that are doing the job. We don’t know jobs that have been completed. Are you going to hold the community leader for that or you are holding the government whose role is to supervise and ensure completion of projects?

    But if the agents of the NDDC connive with the people to do something with the community leaders or heads, who suffers it?  It is the people that suffer.  But because the people do not have the voice to speak, they keep quiet and languish in penury. So it is the government that is failing in their role of monitoring, supervision and ensuring completion and commissioning of projects in the region.

    So you are saying the community people are not liable for corrupt practices?

    I wouldn’t say that they are not liable. But who is going to prove their innocence or their guilt? It is the government.  Chevron Nigeria Limited, in connivance with the cabal,set up what they call Itsekiri Regional Development Council (IRDC). Chevron should please tell us Itsekiri people how much they have given to that council and the jobs they have issued. One of the major characteristics of leadership is accountability. Government is supposed to be accountable to the people.  Is that not why the Buhari government is fighting corruption? I am now saying that corruption has eaten deep into the oil companies at the detriment of the people. The government should help us.

    What is the position of your group on the demands and operations of the militant groups in the Niger Delta?

    I speak for my nationality, the Itskekiri nation. I cannot speak for the Ijaw nationality and I do not expect the Ijaw nationality to speak for my own nationality.  They should speak for themselves. They should not speak for us Itsekiri people because we are not from the same race.  The fact that nature tries to put us together does not mean that we all have the same characteristics.

    Itsekiri people came into contact with civilization in 1484 with the Portuguese merchants.  We are not a people that do our thing without decorum. I am making the call on the government to come our rescue.

    What are the demands of the Itsekiri People’s Congress, which you want government to address?

    We want government to look at the activities of the oil companies in Itsekiri land, especially the aspect of failing to provide infrastructure in the host communities. The issue of the oil companies in our locality is a topic that we should take separately because it is a pain in our heart. You cannot milk oil in our place and go and build your administrative headquarters in Lagos. That is Chevron for you. You cannot be taking oil from my land and I have only two per cent of the employees in your place. Let chevron tell us the list of all the people in their employment and how many Itsekiri are there? That is another height of oppression.

    Is your coming  out at this time based on the need to rival the attention the Niger Delta Avengers group is getting from the federal government?

    There is no need to rival them. We are not the owner of time. Circumstances determine time. If I must let you know something, the Niger Delta Avengers are on their own.But we must clear ourselves before the government because I read in the papers the Niger Delta Avengers are saying the Itsekiri are part of them. We were never part of them. No Itsekiri man is part of the Avengers, because no Itsekiri man is a destroyer.  But we are pained also. We are suffering too. We should now talk to government. Let government talk to us and let us see how we can synergize and work together to bring out peace in the Niger Delta and bring on meaningful development to the region.

  • Our lives under threat, say Tompolo, aide

    Our lives under threat, say Tompolo, aide

    Under fire ex-militant leader, Chief Government Ekpemupolo and his media consultant,  Paul Bebenimibo, have rejected the membership tag of Niger Delta Avengers.

    Bebenimibo said the ‘revelation’ was a plot to assassinate and appealed to the Federal Government to protect their lives.

    Reacting to an online report credited to the so-called Reformed Niger Delta Avengers (RNDA), Bebenimibo said his inclusion in the list was a case of “mistaken identity.”

    The said the source of the report was not credible, adding that the report was  bogus.

    “I decided to write to dissociate my boss and myself from that wicked and malicious report. As for my boss (Ekpemupolo AKA Tompolo), he has made it abundantly clear in many occasions that he has nothing to do with the Niger Delta Avengers.

    “In my own case, I believe it was a mistaken identity as I am still wondering why my name is mentioned among operatives of the NDA, when I have been going about my lawful business over the years.

    “For the avoidance of doubt, I am a trained media practitioner, media consultant and media scholar of more than 10 years. I have a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mass Communication, Master of Science (MSc) in Mass Communication and currently a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) student

    “This allegation is purely nonsensical and baseless and should be quarried by all well meaning Nigerians.

    I wish to advise the Nigerian government to look for better ways to resolve the Niger Delta problem, and not to continue to compound the issue by relying on voodoo means to resolve the issue, like this particular report.

    “If the people, that is the Reformed Niger Delta Avengers have claimed to part ways with the NDA, after destroying almost all the oil facilities in the Niger Delta region, and turn around to claim that they have repented and mentioned some people as sponsors and operatives of the NDA, then the government and people of this country need to know such people (RNDA) and treat them accordingly, and not the responsible Nigerians they mentioned as sponsors and operatives.”

    Bebenimibo, who is the Executive Secretary of the Tompolo Foundation, said he had consulted a team of lawyers to take necessary action on the matter, adding that the claim was a desperate plot to annihilate  him over what he knew nothing about about.

    “Presently, I am afraid of my life. I want to urge the present administration to be serious with human life as it is the primary duty of any government to provide security for the citizens.

    “The use of miscreants to implicate genuine Nigerians is a dangerous trend in this country now, as such people are likely to surfer for what they do not know anything about. Therefore the government should investigate some of these claims seriously to avoid miscarriage of judgement.”

  • Niger Delta crisis: Tompolo writes Buhari again

    Niger Delta crisis: Tompolo writes Buhari again

    Runaway former Niger Delta warlord, Government Ekpemupolo alias Tompolo yesterday accused  President Muhammadu Buhari of ignorance about the  situation of  things in the oil producing region.

    He said the APC-led Federal Government was only interested in the region’s oil and not the wellbeing of its people.

    Tompolo,  in his latest open letter to Buhari, also accused the President of unfair treatment, alleging molestation of his 84-year-old father, Chief Thompson Ekpemupolo, who he said had lost a lower limb to amputation following an encounter he had with  soldiers who invaded Kurutie, Warri South West Local Government Area, in May.

    He urged the President to take keener interest in the affairs of the region and investigate allegations against him instead of judging him by what politicians say.

    He said: “As it stands now, you are not abreast with things happening in this part of the country. Perhaps you are only abreast with crude oil exploration activities in the Niger Delta region.

    “I do not need to remind Your Excellency that  the primary duty of any government is to seek after the welfare and security of the citizenry.”

    On his father’s travails, he said: “The military went to Kurutie town in search of my 84-year-old father and brutalised him. We managed to rescue him to Warri and hospitalised him.

    “Sadly, one of his lower limbs was amputated two weeks ago. From the doctor’s report, it will be a miracle if he survives this incident.

    “Is this 84-year-old man also a member of the Niger Delta Avengers, that he was brutalised to the point of death?

    “Will your Excellency accept this in good faith if this was done to your father or someone of this age in your family?

    “I have not heard of anyone that was treated like this even in the volatile North Eastern part of the country.”

    Tompolo, who is wanted to stand trial for corruption-related charges, dwelt on the allegations against him and urged the President to deploy his trusted aides to the area to ascertain the true state of affairs.

    He hinted that the issue of his alleged fraud was being used as a tool of blackmail and political vendetta, stressing that if the president took time to  investigate the matter, the truth would be revealed.

    He added: “I have been wondering since the beginning of my travails at your instance, and I wish to ask whether, is this part of the fight against corruption in Nigeria? Or was it because I supported my kinsman, former president Goodluck Jonathan in the 2015 general elections?

    “I thought everyone in Nigeria has the liberty to support whoever he or she deemed fit in an election.

    “And as Dr Jonathan bravely accepted the outcome of the election, which brought you in as President of Nigeria today, I thought you will heal wounds as the father of the nation. And it was on this premise that I visited you immediately after your swear-in ceremony to pledge my loyalty and readiness to work with your administration.

    “I am yet to be told the reason for all these shenanigans exhibited by your security agencies and party members.