Tompolo to Engage over 25,000 Youths with Pipeline Surveillance Job

Tompolo to Engage over 25,000 Youths with Pipeline Surveillance Job

Francis Tayor

Warri______ Youths across the Niger Delta Region South-South Nigeria are to be economically empowered as former Niger Delta warlord, High Chief. Government Emkpemupolo alias Tompolo set to engage over twenty five thousand (25, 000) unemployed youths with oil Pipeline Surveillance security job in order to fight illegal bunkering.

This was disclosed on Friday in Oproza, headquarters of Gbaramantu kingdom in Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State, during a meeting with the leadership of various communities, clans, stakeholders, youth bodies amongst others from the various ethnic groups in the region.

Addressing the mammoth crowed at the pavellion in Oproza, Tompolo said the essence of the meeting was to inform them of government readiness to completely stop oil theft, illegal bunkering and pipeline vandalism in the Niger Delta riverine communities.

He made them to understand that illegal bunkering had caused more harm to the people's health and the region than a blessing. He noted that the activities of illegal oil bunkering has polluted our rivers and lands beyond remediation. 

" Go home and tell your brothers and sisters who are unto illegal oil bunkering to henceforth stop and go into other businesses, stressing that it is for their own good and for the interest of everybody living in the region, Tompolo stated.

It will be recall that last week, the Federal Government has renewed a multi-million dollar pipeline surveillance contract to Government Ekpemupolo, aka Tompolo.

The Federal government and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Limited reportedly signed the deal with Tompolo to end illegal bunkering, illegal refining, and other forms of oil theft in the Niger Delta.

A source was quoted as saying Tompolo held a crucial stakeholders’ meeting in his Oporoza country home in the Gbaramatu Kingdom, Delta State on Wednesday. He said a mammoth crowd of stakeholders from the Niger Delta, especially Bayelsa State, turned up for the meeting. He said the number in attendance was over 5000.

According to the source, the deal with the ex-militant who has great knowledge of the creeks is worth over N4billion monthly. The source was quoted as saying that the duties of the former MEND commander will be to monitor and oversee other surveillance contracts, contractors and their activities in the entire Niger Delta.

He said it was a similar role Tompolo played during the former administration of President Goodluck Jonathan when Diezani Alison-Madueke was the Minister of Petroleum.

“The government merely reviewed and restored his old contract. Before the cancellation of his contract, the arrangements he put in place tackled illegal bunkering and increased production quota to over two million barrels per day. But the new government cancelled the contract, declared him wanted and he was later exonerated of all wrongdoings.

They have realised the need to bring him back because currently, the country is losing over 500,000 barrels per day to illegal bunkering” he said

The source said the new deal was brokered by the Minister of State for Petroleum, Timipre Sylva and some NNPC top officials including the Group Executive Director, Upstream, Adokiye Tombomelye. According to the source, NNPC as a new profit-making venture was determined to curb all illegal activities affecting its operations and making it run at a loss every month.

He named persons at the meeting as former presidents of the Ijaw Youths Council (IYC) Worldwide, Dr. Chris Ekiyor, Udengs Eradiri and Eric Omare; priests of Egbesu, Ijaw religious organisation, led by Apostle Bodmas Kemepadei; leaders of all youth groups in the Niger Delta, heads of notorious cult groups in the region among others.

He said prominent among those in attendance were former unit commanders of MEND such as Eris Paul, aka General Oguboss; Pius Wareyal, aka General Pius; Joshua Macaiver, Pastor Reuben Wilson, Young Shall Grow and all the second phase “generals”.