EXCLUSIVE: Tompolo, Okowa Fall Apart, Had Heated Argument On Phone

There are strong indications that Chief Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo has fell apart with Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta state, BigPen Online can authoritatively report.

The cosy relationship between Tompolo and Okowa which started in 2015 has dwindled and the ex-warlord may have given up on the Governor over alleged unsettled disagreement which broke out between the two few weeks ago.

The Ex-militant leader who has been facing battle from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC which once declared him wanted over series of allegations including the inflated NIMASA’s contract had allegedly accused Okowa of ‘abandoning’ him to face his travial all by himself despite his handsome contributions to his election in 2015.

The EFCC had arraigned the ex-warlord on a 49-count charge including the diversion of N45.9 billion. The charges also includes conspiracy and diversion of funds belonging to NIMASA but the ex-militant leader has failed to make himself available as ordered by the court. The anti-graft agency also sought an order to seize his properties.

Despite unverified reports that Governor Okowa had allegedly ‘shielded’ and ‘protected’ him from arrest and prosecution, a source closed to Tompolo said the generalissimo of defunct MEND is regretting featuring Okowa over alleged nonchalant attitude of the Governor toward his case.

BigPen Online source revealed that Tompolo has been very angry with Okowa for allegedly ‘abandoning’ him to face the music of the anti-graft agency, despite helping him to power.

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The source hinted that Governor Okowa had been far too nonchalant about such a serious matter concerning Tompolo, the main architect of his winning the 2015 election and had even snubbed the former warlord many times when he tried to reach him on phone.

Using his presidential contacts when former president Goodluck Jonathan was still in power, Tompolo reportedly influenced PDP delegates to give a clean win to Okowa at the primary with volumes of dollars and the  subsequent governorship election using all available arsenals.

Dependable Government House source revealed that the relationship between Okowa and Tompolo started degenerating when Governor Okowa started developing cold feet over alleged insatiable nature of Tompolo.

The Governor was said to have reportedly accused Tompolo of making too much monetary demands on him since his inception as governor of the oil rich state.

Miffed by his apparently overbearing posture, Okowa was said to have at a time severe his relationship by going incommunicado with the ex-militant leader for a period of time with intent to renegotiate their friendship.

The source disclosed that the Governor had designed a secret settlement perquisites for the Ex-militant leader and a few others who invested in his election but the Ex-militant keep asking for more outside the supposed arrangement.

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Credible sources in Government House revealed that since Okowa became Governor, he has been allegedly wiring monies ranging from N50 million on monthly basis using Delta Waterways Security Committee to Tompolo from DESOPADEC treasury alongside Michael Diden, alias Ejele who took the Governor to the Ex-militant leader before the 2015 general elections where the deal to bankroll Okowa’s election was struck.

Besides the two, who enjoy this perks, our source disclosed that some traditional rulers in the state also received the same amount of money from the state oil commission on monthly basis.

This, according to our source made Tompolo to believe that what Okowa is giving to him was not exclusive or his reimbursement as such can’t be term as the compensation for his investment in his 2015 governorship election.

A source closed to Okowa told BigPen Online categorically that barring last minute settlement, Tompolo may work against the Governor in 2019 but him (Okowa) has been running helter-shelter to mend fence with the Ex-militant leader since the disagreement.

The dependable source knowledgeable about what transpired confided on one of our correspondents that a recent telephone conversation between Okowa and Tompolo went awful as the Ex-militant leader allegedly shouted on the Governor on phone.

“Oga (Okowa) and Tompolo spoke on phone recently and it appears all is not well again. Tompolo was shouting on top of his voice on the phone, it was glaring something was amiss, even when Oga was trying to calm him down, he was still shouting and ended up warning that he should not be called again.

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“It is a very serious matter! Oga is still trying to settle with him. He is trying to make an offer that he wouldn’t refuse because he sound very bitter on the phone.

“I think his grouse is that they abandoned him. He has even severe his relationship with his own kinsmen, the Deputy Governor, Barr Kingsley Otuaro if not Oga wanted to sent Otuaro to him. From what I learnt he said Otuaro has no use for him in the government and he was kind of regretting nominating him, the source added.

BigPen Online efforts to get comments on the report from the State Government officials prove abortive but a source closed to Tompolo confirmed the report saying that the two had misunderstanding which they were trying to talk over on the phone but degenerated into a shouting march.