Former militant Government Ekpemupolo alias Tompolo has “reluctantly” accepted pleas to stand down his threat to attack oil facilities in the Niger Delta if the Federal Government does not set up a substantive board for the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) by June 7.
Tompolo’s change of stance followed a meeting on Thursday with Niger Delta stakeholders which had in attendance the minister of Niger Delta affairs Godswill Akpabio.
The Niger Delta top ex-militant, who had issued the ultimatum on May 31, emphasised in a statement on Saturday that he would not be bought over with money.
“As I expressed in my press statement of Monday, May 31st, 2021, I came into this matter because of love for the region and Nigeria. I make bold to say that I cannot be compromised by money and other material things. However, the only thing one can do for Nigeria in these trying times, where all the six geopolitical zones are in turmoil, is to pray to God for peace and tranquility, particularly for the economic hub of the country, the Niger Delta region,” Tompolo said.
“Therefore, I welcomed the consultative meeting of our revered Traditional rulers from the region, Delta State Government, the Ijaw National Congress (INC) led by its President, Professor Benjamin Okaba, leaders from the Itsekiri, Urhobo, Isoko, Ndokwa and other Nationalities with the Minister of the Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Akpabio in attendance, at the traditional headquarters of Gbaramatu Kingdom, Oporoza town on Thursday June 3rd 2021.
“The outcome of the meeting has been made known to the public by the Minister. He promised profusely to start the process of the constitution and inauguration of the substantive board of the NDDC immediately (from Friday, June 4th 2021), and that he should be allowed to drive the process to an end on or before the end of June 2021.
“As it stands now, I have accepted the outcome of the meeting reluctantly. It is pertinent to state at this juncture that, I do not want anything to disrupt the relative peace we are enjoying in the region. It was on this premise that I accepted the outcome of the meeting. The ultimate goal in this issue is for the Minister to abide by the promise he has made to start the process of constituting the NDDC board now. Government shenanigans must be put away in this matter as constituting the NDDC board is very dear to the heart of the people of the region.”
Tompolo thanked Ijaw leader and elder statesman Edwin Clark, Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa and others for the roles they played in the issue.
