Tompolo’s Positive Impact Goes Beyond Gbaramatu, Don’t Vilify Him – Niger Delta Group

By Dimene Egbaimo

The Niger Delta Grassroots Organisation (NDGO) has come to the defense of High Chief Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, against accusations made by Project Niger Delta (PND).

NDGO in a statement noted that Tompolo’s positive impact extends beyond his Gbaramatu Kingdom and benefits the entire Niger Delta region.

NDGO National Coordinator, Comrade Weyinmi Olley, who signed the statement, criticized PND for calling for the replacement of Dr. Dennis Otuaro as the head of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) and for divisive claims that Tompolo and Pa Edwin Clark have hijacked appointments and infrastructure for themselves and the Gbaramatu Kingdom.

Olley argued that Tompolo’s influence has benefited many people across the Niger Delta region, citing examples of individuals from different ethnic groups who have secured appointments and projects with his support. He advised PND to build legitimate structures to attract political patronage rather than vilifying Tompolo.

PND, had in a letter to President Bola Tinubu, endorsed by its Project Director Princewill Ebebi, accused both Pa Edwin Clark and Tompolo of hijacking appointments and infrastructure held out “as our collective blessings” to themselves and Gbaramatu Kingdom, saying Ijaws of Bomadi, Burutu, Patani and Ogbe-Ijoh and beyond Delta State, were not their slaves.

But the NDGO via its National Coordinator, Comrade Weyinmi Olley, berated PND over call for Dr Dennis Otuaro’s replacement as boss of Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) and other divisive issues, stating: “The NDGO with membership from Ijaw, Urhobo, Itsekiri, Isoko, Igbo and other ethnic groups in the Niger Delta see the claims of PND as baseless and divisive.

He said; “The unchallengeable records are that Amnesty Bosses commenced from Major Gen Godwin Abbe, rtd (Edo State), Air Vice Marshal Lucky Ochuko Ararile (Urhobo/Delta), Chief Timi Alaibe (Bayelsa-Ijaw), Hon. Kingsley Kuku (Ondo State-Ijaw), Brig. Gen. P. T. Boroh (Bayelsa/Sagbama/Ijaw), Prof Charles Quaker Dokubo (Rivers/Ijaw), Barry Ndiomu (Bayelsa/Sagbama/Ijaw), Col. Milland Dikio rtd (Rivers/Ahoada).

“Clearly, about 8 Amnesty Bosses from the wider Ijaw/Niger Delta, with two persons from Bayelsa’s Sagbama LGA, took positions before Gbaramatu-Ijaw’s very competent Dr Dennis Otuaro”

“The issues and agitations that largely birthed PAP made Tompolo’s Gbaramatu Kingdom the theatre of Federal Government military destruction of lives and communities in 2009. Yet Tompolo, in uncommon discipline, patience and collaboration, did not bellyache that Amnesty Bosses did not begin/come from his Gbaramatu Kingdom for 15 years, nor did Gbaramatu-Ijaws felt being slaves to other Ijaw kingdoms!”.

“As brothers’ keepers, we should rejoice with our Gbaramatu-Ijaw brothers as God lifted them from hitherto limited political opportunities.

“In Nigeria’s democratic experience, Gbaramatu/Warri-Ijaw only recently got political power. They never produced State House of Assembly member till 2019. Virtually all homogenous Ijaw LGAs, namely Burutu, Patani and Bomadi held either Speaker, Deputy Speaker or Majority Leader positions in Delta State House of Assembly (DTHA) long before Gbaramatu-Ijaw of Warri South-West LGA became member and Speaker of the House in Rt.Hon. Emomotimi Guwor.

“Other parts of Ijaw in Delta produced chairmen of LGAs long before Ijaws of Warri. While Hon. George Ekpemupolo led the first Ijaw shot at chairman of Warri South-West LGA, the present occupant is Hon Sylvester Oromoni from Ogbe-Ijoh.

“The House of Representative post held by Rt. Hon. Julius Pondi was before him held by persons that are not from Tompolo’s Gbaramatu Kingdom. So why the fuss about Gbaramatu Kingdom’s ascendance as Speaker of DTHA?”.

“We will not talk about Pa Edwin Clark, the revered Ijaw leader and nationalist because we know Tompolo is the target of PND. We condemn impression created by PND that Tompolo is nepotistic in distributing positions he influenced.

“PANDEF (Niger Delta leaders), fought to sustain the Nigerian Maritime University, Okerenkoko, in Gbaramatu Kingdom, to serve the Nigerian nation. Chief Favour Izoukumor, former board member of DESOPADEC, is from Ogbe-Ijoh, not Gbaramatu but enjoyed Tompolo’s support.

“Senator James Manager (Bomadi) enjoyed support from Tompolo in his 20-year stint in the exalted Nigerian Senate, whereas Deputy Governor of Gbaramatu Kingdom extraction got just 8 years. PND forgot contribution of Tompolo to emergence of Godsday Orubebe (Burutu), erstwhile Minister of Niger Delta Affairs and Dr Patrick Z. Akpobolokemi (Bomadi), former Director General of NIMASA. The list is not exhaustive. Were the Gbaramatu people then slaves of Senator Manager, Godsday Orubebe and Patrick Akpobolokemi or slaves of Bomadi, Burutu and Patani people?”, the NDGO queried.

“Truth is that political offices/appointments that PND seeks are not warehoused for distribution by Tompolo who remains conscious that his ongoing labour for Ijaw/Niger Delta development got support of the entire Ijaw nation.

“This explains why beneficiaries of Tompolo’s influence has been pan-Ijaw, nay Niger Delta in reach. Securing contract, like others in the region before him, Tompolo’s Tantita Security Services Nigeria Ltd fights oil theft with remarkable panache, enabling economic recovery that benefits the entire Nigerian nation.

“But there are several possibilities hanging out there for those whose visibilities are not dulled by hate. We advise PND and like groups that it is not late to build similar structures and synergise, where necessary, to make the Ijaw nation, nay the Niger Delta a better place by securing more appointments and projects, rather than vilify him”, Olley said.

“It is clear PND is pained that some appointments went to Tompolo’s Gbaramatu-Ijaw brothers. What is wrong with that? Even the Bible admonishes us to do good to all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith (Galatians 6:10). So, while Tompolo, the “Izon ebi dou owei of Izon land, seeks appointments for all, he does not sin if his Gbaramatu-Ijaw brothers also benefit from appointments”, he said.