From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
Scores of militant groups in the nine states of the Niger Delta, led by the Supreme Egbesu Freedom Fighters (SEFF), have resolved to back ex-militant leader, Chief Government Ekpomupolo (aka Tompolo) over the seven days ultimatum given to the federal government for the immediate reconstitution of a substantive board for the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
Tompolo had over the weekend lend his voice to the agitations led by the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) calling on President Buhari to reconstitute and inaugurate the NDDC board because of the forensic audit of the commission ordered by President Buhari.
Tompolo, a former leader of the defunct Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), had over the weekend issued a seven days ultimatum to the Federal Government to reconstitute the board to avoid a break -down of law and order from protests by angry Ijaw youths.
SEFF and other militant groups have declared their readiness to form alliance with IYC and threatened to shut down major oil exploration flow stations and oil wells with major NNPC crude delivery pipeline activities in the region over the refusal of Buhari to reconstitute and inaugurate the substantive board of the NDDC.
SEFF in a statement issued on Monday via electronic mail at the end of an emergency meeting convened by the Commanding officer, Major General AGADAGBA 1 OBUS, also known as Thunder, warned that the Nembe Bonny creek Crude pipeline will not be excluded from the combined and coordinated Operation code named #SHUTDOWN OIL FLOW STATIONS & PIPELINES For NDDC BOARD INAUGURATION#.
They warned that if the federal government refuse to heed the clarion call of the long suffering, neglected and abandoned people in the region and refuse to inaugurate the NDDC board within the seven days, they would have no choice than to join hands with all other forces with the IYC and other agitating militant groups in the creeks to shut down oil exploration activities on all flow stations in the region.
‘We have identified targets to include the Escravos-Warri to Kaduna NNPC major delivery crude line, the Escravos- Lagos Atlas Cove delivery line and the Trans Escravos Warri Kaduna gas line that supply electricity to Abuja will not be spared and there will be no gas supply for electricity in Abuja, Lagos Kaduna and the Northern part of the country. Also the Trans Forcados 48- inches terminal underwater Shell/NNPC crude delivery pipeline with most of the Chevron RMP24 Clough creek line will all be brought to stand still,’ he said.
The group urged the federal government, as a matter of security concern and for the interest of peace and economic stability to immediately call Akpabio to order.
The statement read in part:
‘We want to make it clear that with the way things are going President Buhari who was elected to provide good governance for the welfare and betterment of the Niger Delta people and Nigerians at large, has refused to do the needful and take drastic stand and listen to the cry of the generality of the Niger Delta people and fold his hands and keep quiet and allow the so called corrupt minded politicians from the region to deceive him. Mr President should inaugurate the NDDC board for the interest of peace in the region before things will take a new turn, because everybody knows how the fragile nature the Niger Delta region is.’