Ibekimi Oriamaja Reports
Freedom fighter and Niger Delta warlord, Government Ekpemopolo aka Tompolo has announced mass recruitment of people from the region to police, secure and monitor crude oil activities against theft, vandalism and to prevent revenue leakages.
Tompolo a former militant leader and Commander of the defunct Movement for Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND), was declared wanted by the Buhari government but won a case against the federal government in 2020.
Tompolo who spoke on Friday for the first time after the face off with government, said men and women from various communities in Bayelsa, Delta and Rivers States will benefit from the project adding that salaries will be paid directly to those employed in the scheme.
He affirmed that the employment exercise will centre round 60% engagement for men while women get 40% .
According to him, as the lead consultant to the federal government on the contract, there will be further outsourcing of contract to major players in Bayelsa and Rivers States respectively pointing out that the project has nothing to do with amnesty exercise.
The warlord warned traditional and youth leaders of the communities to support the scheme to protect the rich all region noting that the moves to protect the coast was targeted to stop revenue leakages of the federal government of Nigeria.
While appealing for total cooperation among various communities in the region, Tompolo reiterated that the exercise is not a case of land dispute but such that will bring unity and harmony for indigenous of the Niger Delta states.
He added that operatives of the Nigeria Army, Navy Department of State Security (DSS) Police and other security apparatus are deeply involved in the project as part of measures to arrest and prosecute anyone with the intension to sabotage protection of government assets.
Tompolo in the middle while inspecting some facilities in Gbaramatu Kingdom in Delta state on Friday.
Unverified report suggest that the Federal Government has renewed a multi-million dollar pipeline surveillance contract to Tompolo.
It was gathered that the government and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Limited signed the deal with Tompolo to end illegal bunkering, illegal refining and other forms of oil theft in the Niger Delta.
A source close to Tompolo, who spoke in confidence, said the deal was worth over N4billion monthly.
However, the figure and details of the contract could not be immediately confirmed officially as of press time.
The source said the former MEND commander, known for his creek credibility, will monitor and oversee other surveillance contracts, contractors and their activities in the entire Niger Delta.
He said it was a similar role Tompolo played during the former administration of President Goodluck Jonathan when Diezani Alison-Madueke was the Minister of Petroleum.
“The government merely reviewed and restored his old contract.
“Before the cancellation of his contract, the arrangements he put in place tackled illegal bunkering and increased production quota to over two million barrels per day.
“But the new government cancelled the contract, declared him wanted and he was later exonerated of all wrongdoings
“They have realised the need to bring him back because currently, the country is losing over 500,000 barrels per day to illegal bunkering”, he said.
