Niger Delta militant leader Tompolo says EFCC is after him for refusing to join APC

FORMER Niger Delta militant leader Government Ekpemupolo popularly known as Tompolo has dismissed his recent invitation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as a witch-hunt because of his refusal to back the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the recent Bayelsa State governorship election.

 

Last week, the EFCC invited Tompolo to its Lagos offices to come and answer charges relating to supply contracts he was given by the Goodluck Jonathan administration. Tompolo, who is also the Gbaramatu traditional titleholder in Ijawland, was a major beneficiary under the Goodluck regime, protecting Nigeria's coastline, pipelines and being a major contractor.

 

However, dismissing the EFCC invitation as sheer intimidation, Tompolo said it has nothing to do with his contracts but more about the recent Bayelsa State governorship elections. He added that he would not honour the EFCC invitation as he has already filed a suit in court against the commission.

 

In the latest summons, the EFCC had given him one week to report at its Ikoyi, Lagos office to answer questions over a land matter. However, Tompolo has vowed that he will not be intimidated by the threat of arrest.

 

Tompolo said: “I know why they are after me and it is not the alleged multi-billion naira property transaction. After all, it went through due process and was approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC), so if there are any questions to answer, it is the people at the FEC, Bureau of Public Procurement, Federal Ministry of Lands and Survey, Federal Ministry of Transport, Nimasa, etc who approved the transaction that should be answering such questions.

 

“The real reason this APC-led government is after me is that I bluntly refused to join them and to support their governorship candidate in Bayelsa State. We cannot all be in APC.

 

"Our people have always believed in the Nigerian project and had always hoped to join hands with this administration to move this project forward but the conditions being attached are not acceptable. I insist on believing in the Nigerian project unconditionally."

 

He accused the EFCC of lying to Nigerians on allegation that he refused to honour the invitation, adding that his lawyers had already informed the agency that he had challenged the invitation in court. Tompolo stressed that the threat to declare him wanted is an unnecessary attempt to heat up the polity.

 

“As a full blooded Ijaw man and citizen of Nigeria, I have done everything in my power to follow the laws of Nigeria. Since the amnesty declared in 2009 by late President Yar’Adua I have strained myself to ensure that we all live in peace in this country, so those who think they can push us to war must rethink the necessity of such a war.

 

“They froze our business accounts since August 4 2015 but we have not quarrelled with anybody. We sued them to court and they refused to come to court, so now they are threatening to declare me wanted," Tompolo added.