…We Won’t Wait And Watch Tompolo Take What Belongs To Us – Ayiri Emami
…Urges Jonathan Not To Succumb To Threat From Ex-militants
SAN FRANCISCO, November 13, (THEWILL) – Ex-militant warlord, Chief Government Ekpemupolo, (aka Tompolo), on Wednesday deployed over 20 Ijaw war boats loaded with armed warriors on the Delta waterways in a bid to make good his alleged threat to prevent President Goodluck Jonathan from performing the groundbreaking ceremony of the multibillion dollar Export Processing Zone project, reliable security sources told THEWILL.
Our sources confirmed that about 20 “Ijaw war boats” controlled by Tompolo were on display on the Warri waterways heading toward Omadino, an Itsekiri enclave, between 06-07:00hours, thus raising fresh fears of a possible outbreak of crisis between the Ijaws and Itsekiris in Warri.
However, other sources said it was traditional for the Ijaw people to display their war regalia when there is intense tension within their abode, saying it was a means of saying they were prepared for any eventuality.
The deployment of the war boats followed an earlier alarm raised by Lagos-based human rights lawyer, Festus Keyamo, who had called on President Jonathan to caution Tompolo over his undue interference in the EPZ project , the groundbreaking of which is expected to be performed on Friday in Ogidigben, an Itsekiri community in Warri South West Local Government Area.
Keyamo alleged that Tompolo had threatened that if the project is not renamed after “Gbaramatu”, he would prevent President Jonathan from venturing into the Delta creeks to perform the flag-off.
Chairman of Delta Waterways Security Committee, Chief Ayiri Emami, who confirmed the growing tension on the waterways, in an open letter to Jonathan, accused Tompolo of fanning the embers of discord between Ijaws and Itsekiris despite the fact that Itsekiris are the greatest supporter of the Jonathan administration.
Emami said he was compelled to once again draw the attention of Mr. President and other well-meaning Nigerians to what he considered as another selfish, sentimental and parochial move by Tompolo and some of his Ijaw brothers to create an atmosphere of fear, intimidation and falsehood by laying claim to the land where the EPZ legacy project is situated so as to make the President, once again, postpone the groundbreaking ceremony of the dream project slated for Friday November 14 after several postponements occasioned by continuous threats from Ijaw neighbours.
According to Emami, “This is becoming even more worrisome because it appears Government Ekpemupolo and his cohorts are bent on using their obvious connections in government to continually take what is not theirs through the use of threats and blackmail, yet they boast across the country of their invincibility no matter what they do.
“The Itsekiri Nation is only struggling to forget the pains they suffered from their Ijaw neighbours during the last Warri crisis; no thanks to the death of many Itsekiris and the forceful seizure of some of our communities by the Ijaws, yet Government at all levels have done little or nothing to assuage our pains and resettle our people in their God-given communities.
“Perhaps the likes of Government Ekpemupolo should be reminded that despite the ugly and regrettable incidence of the protracted Warri crisis, President Jonathan’s biggest supporter amid criticisms is the National President of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayodele Joseph Oritsejafor, who interestingly is an Itsekiri. The Ijaws should also note that Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan like some other illustrious Itsekiri sons and daughters have been in the forefront of President Goodluck Jonathan’s re-election bid in 2015.”
He said while Tompolo and others are brazenly making inciting security statements that are capable jeopardising the project, he should be reminded that the Itsekiris had never schemed the Ijaws out of partaking in projects sited in their land citing the Escravos Gas to Liquid project as one of such projects which Ijaw immensely benefitted from in terms of manpower and contract allotments.
While urging Jonathan not to succumb to the threats by Tompolo and his cohorts, Emami said; “Please re-assure us of Itsekiri safety, ignore the Ijaw threats against this Friday November 14, 2014 Groundbreaking Ceremony of the EPZ which you confidently told the world during your re-election declaration speech Tuesday November 11, 2014 and come to carry out this constitutional right of yours and those of Itsekiri people.”
Meanwhile, THEWILL learnt that only a few Ijaw communities, including Okpele-Ama/Tebujor community, Warri South West Local Government Area, actually have genuine claims to the land proposed for the EPZ project.
Recall that Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan had, on May 19 during a meeting at the Government House Annex, Warri with stakeholders , said only genuine stakeholders who make verifiable claims to the Ministry of Land and Survey would be accommodated in the project and not the bogus claims being made by the entire Gbaramatu leadership who have been pressurising Jonathan not to go ahead with the flag-off ceremony.
In an open letter to President Jonathan, signed by leadership of Okpele-Ama/Tebulor, the Ijaw arrowhead community said to be in the EPZ map, the people said since their land revocation document were presented to Uduaghan through former President of Federated Niger Delta Ijaw Communities (FNDIC), Chief Oboko Bello, the governor had not called the people to adequately compensate them as reflected in the valuation report submitted to the state government.
Signed by Moses Yabrade, (Community chairman); Timi Mamah (Secreatry); Douperegha Abednego, (Public Relations Officer); among others, the people demanded that their claims should be duly considered and compensated without delay to let peace reign and ensure the smooth sail of the multi-billion dollar project.
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