Outrage Mounts Over Tompolo’s Gunboat

A Gun Boat INSET: Mr Government  Ekpemupolo

• Itsekiri Group Says battleships may be turned against Rival Tribes
• I’m Being Blackmailed, Boats Handed Over To NIMASA – Tompolo

The alleged acquisition of seven decommissioned Norwegian battleships by a company believed to be owned by an ex-militant; Mr Government Ekpemupolo, has started eliciting anxiety among groups in Delta state, some of which have cried out that the acquisition is capable of fanning the embers of ethnic hostility in the Niger Delta
A pan-Itsekiri organisation, the Warri Study Group (WSG) has therefore asked President Goodluck Jonathan to revoke the maritime security contract granted Mr. Ekpemupolo’s company and place him under watch.In a statement signed by the group’s Chairman, Edward Ekpoko, and Secretary, Tony Ede, the WSG warned that if Mr. Ekpemupolo, popularly called Tompolo, turned the weapon against the Itsekiri or other ethnic nationalities in the Niger Delta, the international community should hold Mr. Jonathan accountable for failing to act.
But in a swift reaction to the heat being generated by the strange import, yesterday Tompolo also come out to state that the allegation was the handiwork of politicians who are out to tarnish his image as the 2015 election approaches, even though he is not a politician.
He explained that the boats in question were handed over to the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) ostensibly in furtherance of the contract between NIMASA and Global West Vessel Specialist for the security of the nation’s maritime domain.
Tompolo who spoke through his spokesman, Comrade Paul Bebenimibo not only exonerated himself, but also insisted that the latest onslaught was masterminded by some Niger Delta ethnic chauvinists.
“I am not surprised that this blackmail is coming at this crucial time that Nigeria is facing serious security challenges even as the most decisive moment for the nation, which is the 2015 election closes in.
“For one, the initial reaction was to just ignore this cheap blackmail and forge ahead with personal commitments but the propensity with which these lies are daily peddled requires that a bit of clarifications is given to the Nigerian public.
“Clearly, the intent of those behind the malicious media report is to weigh me down, paint me as someone with the desire to wage war against the Nigerian state by painting a picture of an arms build-up in the Niger Delta as 2015 approaches.
“On the issue relating to the alleged purchase of war boats, it smacks of ignorance on the part of those who have taken an ignoble delight to embark on this despicable path; it is pertinent for the ignorance of those behind this blackmail to be exposed.
“The truth is that these boats in question have been in the care of NIMASA for about two years now. For the avoidance of doubts, the boats are not warships or gunboats as being erroneously spread by mischief makers.
“The boats as acquired are neither equipped with war arsenals nor are they ammunition carriers. They are simply boats equipped with modern surveillance devices to track oil thieves and in the process, increase the nation’s revenue base through NIMASA.
“Similarly, Tompolo is not in charge of the said boats as upon acquisition, the boats were handed over to NIMASA which in turn involved the Nigerian Navy in their usage and operations.
“Perhaps, it is apt to say that this latest blackmail could not have come from any quarter other than some Niger Delta politicians whose desire to enslave others has not only failed but backfired. The masterminds of this cannot cow me to withdraw my support for President Goodluck Jonathan.
“For the avoidance of doubt, Nigerians and indeed the Nigerian media can do the nation a big favour by contacting the Norwegian Embassy for more details on the boats in question”, Bebenimibo concluded.
Last Saturday, an online news portal; PREMIUM TIMES had reported that Mr. Ekpemupolo’s security company, Global West Vessel Service, which was awarded a multi-billion-naira contract by the Federal government to secure pipelines in the Niger Delta, procured seven decommissioned Hulk class battleships from Norway. According to the report, the battleships with capability to carry missiles have been re-armed.
The procurement appears to violate Nigeria’s law. Part II Section 17 of the Private Guard Companies Act forbids private security companies from procuring or carrying deadly weapons.
“No person approved under the provisions of this act shall bear or possess any firearm or ammunition in the course of his duties,” the act stipulates.
WSG says it fears that Mr Ekpemupolo, who is from the Ijaw ethnic group, as Mr. Jonathan, may use the weapon against the Istekiris who have a long history of ethnic rivalry with the Ijaws.
“President Jonathan, Tompolo and the DG of NIMASA are all of Ijaw extraction and we therefore see a script being acted out. Nigeria is the only country in the world where individuals – a rehabilitated militant for that matter – is awarded a contract to oversee the security of the coastline of a nation and with powers to import warships and sophisticated arms,” it said in the statement.
The group said it observed that since Mr Ekpemupolo’s company was awarded the contract to protect pipelines in the region, oil theft and bunkering have been on the increase. It, therefore, suggested that the battleships may be meant for intimidating other ethnic nationalities in the region rather than for what it was ostensibly procured for.http://shippingposition.com.ng/article/outrage-mounts-over-tompolo%E2%80%99s-gunboat