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From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
There are strong indications that Chief Government Oweizide Ekpemupolo aka Tompolo has consolidated his hold on the multi-billion naira Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) surveillance pipeline oil contract awarded to him amid opposition.
Tompolo’s contract which covers the Ijaw speaking part of Bayelsa State (Southern Ijaw and Ekeremor Local Government Areas), Delta, Ondo, Imo and Rivers state had attracted a groundswell of opposition from some stakeholders in Bayelsa, Ondo, Imo and Rivers States.
However to consolidate his hold and ward off opposition, Tompolo has held series of engagements with key stakeholders in the last few days to assure them of his avowed principle to run an all inclusive operation in the bid to stamp out illegal oil bunkering , pipeline vandalism and oil theft in the Niger Delta region.
Tompolo has met with traditional rulers and youth groups from Bayelsa State urging them to support the efforts to rid the state of illegal oil bunkerers.
He was also said to have warned youths from Bayelsa State against all forms of cultism, kidnapping and sea-piracy adding that no surveillance slot has been given to any individual.
According to him it is only when somebody who is at the helm of affairs wants to play god that breeds problems making people to rebel.
Tompolo was said to have disclosed to the stakeholders that between Saturday and Monday, his team would move into serious operations to stop illegal oil bunkering in the Niger Delta region.
He was said to have lamented the destruction illegal oil bunkering is doing to the environment, stressing that every Niger Delta does not have any other country than Nigeria and everything must be done to protect the environment and Nigeria.
The efforts by Tompolo to engage stakeholders is said to have softened the hard stance of opposition from Ondo, and Rivers against his operations.
Chief Superintending Officer, Supreme Egbesu Order, (a religion practised by Tompolo and several Ijaw people), Apostle Bodmas Kemepadei said Tompolo’s decision to carry everybody along has brought about peace.
“He has reached out to the likes of Asari- Dokubo and King Ateke Tom. Both of them did not even come out to criticise him. They are in cordial talking terms. There is no problem; everybody is on the same page. Asari-
The Arogbo Ijaw Network through its national coordinator, Feyebo Eperetei in a statement declared that Tompolo is deserving of the contract because of his charisma and capacity to interface with everybody in the Niger Delta region.
Also a former lawmaker in Bayelsa, Ofoni Williams commended what he described as the genuine intention of the Federal Government led by President Muhammadu Buhari to take pragmatic steps to address and curb Nigeria’s economic downturn caused by illegal oil bunkering activities and oil theft in the Niger Delta region.
He stated that Tompolo is a seasoned hand in handling issues of security and has the capacity to carry out the assignment given to him to the latter.
