Founder of the Niger Delta Volunteer Force Asari Dokubo has vowed to hold back the Kalabari area of Rivers State from getting into the hands of Government Ekpemupolo aka Tompolo, a former militant leader.
The Federal Government, in a covert deal, signed a N4.5bn monthly pipeline surveillance contract with Tompolo. He is to protect the oil pipelines and facilities in the Niger Delta from invaders.
However, Dokubo, who also has interests in oil in the region, said in a video now viral that it is greedy of Tompolo to be in charge of pipeline protection for all the ethnic groups in the Niger Delta.
He vowed to stop Tompolo from being in charge of the surveillance contract for the 83km pipeline crisscrossing his Kalabari area in Rivers State.
“You will take pipeline contract in Delta State your place and then you come to Kalabari to take another one saying you are an Ijaw man because you are the only one that knows how to eat.
“You took the ones that belong to Gbaramatu, Itsekiri, Isoko, Urhobo, Kwale, you took all because you are the only one that knows how to eat. You went to Bayelsa and took everything then you came to take the one in Kalabari,” he said.
Dokubo accused the minister of state for petroleum Timipre Sylva of deliberately giving everything to Tompolo to spite him and destabilise the Niger Delta.
“Timipre Sylva gave you because he said he wanted to clip my wings as if he were a god. When Sylva was a member of the House of Assembly, did I clip his wings? I am older than Sylva,” he said.
Dokubo repeated his stance against surrendering Kalabari. “I am not talking about Rivers. I am saying they cannot take Kalabari. They can take every other place but I won’t allow them take Kalabari. You are collecting over N4.5bn a month for doing nothing. And people are supporting you. You must leave the 82km pipeline for Kalabari. You can’t take it,” he said.
