Fresh trouble is brewing in the Niger Delta region with followers of ex-militant leader Asari Dokubo rearing to square up against Mr Government Tompolo and his boys over the pipeline surveillance contract awarded to Tompolo’s company by the federal government.
To this end, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been urged to immediately review the contract awarded by the outgone administration of Muhammadu Buhari to Tompolo for pipeline surveillance and security in the Niger Delta region.
Making the call in a statement responding to attacks by one Eshanekpe Isreal, a self-styled Mayor of Urhoboland and a supposed ex-militant, on the person of Alhaji Asari Dokubo, the Niger Delta Special Force (NDSF) said a split of the contract and inclusion of other ex-militant leaders in the deal, is a better way to ensure lasting peace in the region and security of oil installations there.
In the statement titled ‘General Israel’s Attack on Dokubo, An Insult Taken Too Far’, spokesman of the NDSF, Comrade Boniface Abinye, said the inclusion of Asari Dokubo in the pipeline security contract, was a better way to ensure lasting peace in the region.
According to him, Asari Dokubo represents a lot in the Niger Delta region and is too big to be ignored in such a deal. He alleges that Israel, the self-styled Mayo of Urhoboland, was up to some mischief in his statement wherein he lauded the federal government for singling out only Tompolo for the contract.
According to him, by casting insidious aspersions on Dokubo, Israel was only throwing a dangerous challenge for a supremacy contest to all former militant leaders in the region.
Abinye further warned Israel and his cohorts to thread softly within the waters of Rivers state, adding that Dokubo’s followers were no longer smiling.
Abinye further stated that the Dokubo group is aware that Israel and his team have the backing of the military hence his decision to rise in defence of the military over allegations by Dokubo that soldiers are behind oil theft in the region. He warned that Israel and his boys would have no hiding place in the region should Dokubo boys be forced to rise in arms against him.
The statement reads: “The attention of the Niger Delta Special Force (NDSF) has been drawn to a publication by one Eshanekpe Israel, popularly known as General Israel, where he was quoted to have made unguarded utterances and personal attacks against the person of one of the great leaders of the Niger Delta struggle and founder, Niger Delta Peoples Volunteer Force (NDPVF), Alhaji Mujahid Asari Dokubo.
“Ordinarily, we ought not to waste our time in joining issues with the self-acclaimed Mayor of Urhobo land, knowing who is behind or sponsoring the attack; but this has become necessary as such publication is capable of misleading or diverting the attention of the public from the actual realities as regards the issue of oil theft in the Niger Delta.
“It is rather surprising how the once little rookie in the affairs of the Niger Delta struggle, Israel of yesterday, has suddenly grown enough to square up his shoulders to engage in an open confrontation with Alhaji Asari Dokubo, the Edi-Abali of Niger Delta.
“For the records, the NDSF completely aligns with the position of Asari Dokubo on the issue of oil theft and the military’s involvement in the act.
“However, our worry stems from General Israel’s quick rise in defence of the military to exonerate them from the crime they are being accused of, forgetting the fact that Asari Dokubo, who took the bold step to come up with the revelation, knows his territory like the palm of his hand.
“Then he mischievously coopted the idea saying Alhaji Dokubo was jealous and envious of Tantita Security Services (TSS), the FG’s contractor handling the security of oil facilities in the Niger Delta.
“General Israel’s (of Phase 3 of the Presidential Amnesty Program – PAP) haste to absolve the military of complicity in oil theft when he said “, The Nigerian military may have bad eggs, who deal and wheel in stolen crude, but that, such no longer obtainable since Tompolo took over surveillance of pipelines in the region,” was abundantly clear that he has admitted that Tantita Security Services aides and abets the military to sabotage the nation’s economy in the guise of providing surveillance on oil facilities.
“There was nowhere that Asari Dokubo, during his visit to President Bola Tinubu, mentioned the TSS or Tompolo throughout his conversation when he addressed the media. By this, Israel has deliberately rolled out the drums of war and challenged all former militant leaders in Rivers State to an open contest.
“With the likes of His Majesty, King Ateke Michael Tom, Hon. Doctor Fara Dagogo, Chief Soboma Jackrich, also known as Egberipapa, and others, who have maintained a peaceful disposition all along to enable Chief Government Ekpemupolo, also known as Tompolo who was fortunate enough to have secured the federal government’s surveillance contract, perform his duties within their territory without fear or intimidation of any sort, has thus been misconstrued for the weakness of the leaders.
“We are urging General Israel and his paymasters to henceforth thread softly within the territorial waters of Rivers State.
“It is no longer news that Tompolo got the contract through a very heartless Ijaw man who has no single quality of a good leader, to the extent that he has also frustrated the ex-militant leaders in his home state Bayelsa, using one little boy Kojo to control all Generals that have been lamenting since the commencement of the contract. That same heartless man believes that Bayelsans will be foolish enough to give their votes to him. That will not work; Bayelsans are wiser now enough to choose someone who has the fear of God and the interest of the people at heart.
“Having a surveillance contract within our territorial waters does not in any way make Tompolo superior to our respected leaders – Alhaji Asari Dokubo, King Ateke Michael Tom, Hon Fara Dagogo, Chief Soboma Jackrich – Egberipapa, Oriemi Hart, and others.
“Thus, we, therefore, call on President Bola Tinubu to review the current surveillance contract in the Niger Delta, carve out the areas of River State and give same to Alhaji Asari Dokubo, His Majesty, King Ateke Michael Tom, Hon Fara Dagogo, Chief Soboma Jackrich – Egberipapa, Oriemi Hart, and others who will be in charge to coordinate the Rivers wing to avert avoidable crises within the region in the nearest future.
“These leaders are capable of reaching all other sub-leaders within the state for effective distribution of the contracts. Our appeal, if considered, will guarantee peace, security and stability of the nation’s economy, which is largely dependent on proceeds of oil mining.”
