Government Ekpemupolo, the Niger Delta militant declared
wanted by the Nigerian authorities, has attributed his problems with the
current government to Ayiri Emami, a chieftain
of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Delta State.
In a statement signed by
him, Tompolo also blamed the rift between him and Emami for the continuous military siege on his hometown,
Gbaramatu, and environs, which he said is being carried out on the pretext of looking for members of
the Niger Delta Avengers.
He denied
having any relationship with the new and dangerous militant group, which has
been attacking oil installations. Tompolo added his case with the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC) has
made him a convenient target for Emami and others.
'It baffles me that the Nigerian military has refused to
believe me that I am not part of the group and its activities as contained in
several media statements.
"I am obviously a victim of circumstance in this matter
because of my case with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
"How can I resort to destruction of oil facilities because of those
trumped-up charges against me by the EFCC, when my lawyers are already
challenging the faulty process of legal service on me?.
"If not for the common insinuation that the Nigerian
Judiciary is on trial, why would my case with the EFCC become the greatest
issue in Nigeria today, when there are so many important things to talk about?
" asked Tompolo.
He expressed
disappointment with government,
which he alleged, is using the military
to carry out the demands of i Emami and
others, who accuse him of being behind Niger Delta Avengers.group,
"There
is no single proof to back the claim. May I once again point it out that
Ayiri
Emami and others accusing me of the destruction of oil facilities in
part of
the Delta are simply looking for relevance, recognition and pipeline
surveillance contracts. If anyone doubts what I am saying, such should
find out
from the Group Managing Director ( GMD )and Minister for State for
Petroleum,
because Ayiri and his likes have been troubling the Minister for
pipeline
surveillance contracts for some time
now.
"The Minister
has even succumbed to the Ayiri Emami gimmick by appointing some of his cronies
as special advisers. The funny thing about Ayiri Emami is that he does not even
have the capacity and goodwill to protect oil facilities," he claimed.
Tompolo said that when his company was famously given a one
-year pipeline surveillance contract in Delta State, Emami was a
director of a rival company, Oil Facility Surveillance Limited in 2012,
but could not protect the oil facilities in his care. "I was the one
that
was equally doing his job. It is on record and the authorities of the
Nigerian
National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) can bear me witness that even
those in
Bayelsa (Pajeros Nigeria Limited) and Rivers (Adef Energy Resoures
Nigeria
Limited) that had similar surveillance jobs like me, could not protect
the oil
facilities in their respective states., " he added.
Tompolo said it his a pity that President Muhammadu Buhari and the military
do not know they are being duped by people working with them. "I want the
whole world to know that Iam not in competition with Ayiri Emami on pipeline
surveillance contract. And so I wish to call on his acquaintances to call him
to order, as there is no blessing in the path he is treading.
I wish to honestly advise the Federal Government to tread
cautiously and carefully in this matter, as there is more to what Ayiri Emami
and his likes are doing in the matter than eyes can meet. Therefore, they need
to launch a thorough investigation into the issue, rather than harassing and
intimidating the innocent Gbaramatu Communities and the people, as this mode of
operations by the military will not guarantee the desired peaceful atmosphere
for continuous oil exploration activities by the Federal Government," he
counseled.
Source SaharaReporters
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