Chief Government Ekpemupolo(Tompolo) and Chief Ayiri Emami has again trade blames over who is behind the recent bombing of oil facilities by the Niger Delta Avengers
A statement issued today by Paul Bebenimibo, the media aide to Tompolo said, “I am greatly touched and disappointed with the manner the Nigerian government and the military are being arm-twisted by the unfounded claims of Ayiri Emami and others, that I am behind the Niger Delta Avengers group, when there is no single proof to back the claim”.
”May I once again point it out that Ayiri Emami and others accusing me of the destruction of oil facilities in part of the Delta are simply looking for relevance, recognition and pipeline surveillance contracts. If anyone doubts what I am saying, such should find out from the GMD and minister for state for petroleum, because Ayiri and his likes have been troubling the minister for pipeline surveillance contracts for some time now.
”The minister has even succumbed to the Ayiri Emami gimmick by appointing some of his cronies as special advisers. The funny thing about Ayiri Emami is that he does not even have the capacity and goodwill to protect oil facilities.
”It would be recalled that when I had the one year pipeline surveillance contract in Delta state, Ayiri Emami was one of the directors of the company (Oil Facility Surveillance Limited) in 2012. He could not protect the oil facilities in his beat, and so I was the one that was equally doing his job.
“It is on record and the authorities of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) can bear me witness that even those in Bayelsa (Pajeros Nigeria Limited) and Rivers (Adef Energy Resoures Nigeria Limited) that had similar surveillance jobs like me, could not protect the oil facilities in their respective states.”
“I am disappointed and displeased with the federal government and the Nigerian military on the continuous siege on me and Gbaramatu communities under the guise of looking for members of the nascent Niger Delta Avengers,” the statement read.
“It baffles me that the Nigerian military has refused to believe me that I am not part of the group and its activities as contained in several media statements. I am obviously a victim of circumstance in this matter because of my case with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). How can I resort to destruction of oil facilities because of those trumped-up charges against me by the EFCC, when my lawyers are already challenging the faulty process of legal service on me? If not for the common insinuation that the Nigerian Judiciary is on trial, why would my case with the EFCC become the greatest issue in Nigeria today, when there are so many important things to talk about?”
But Chief Ayiri Emami, insisted that he would not capitulate to the intimidation of former militant leader, Government Ekpeumupolo, alias Tompolo. Responding to the tirade against him by Tompolo, who accused him of fabricating lies against him, he said
: “Whatever I am saying is the truth, it is the right thing I am saying.” “If I am lying, why did the Delta state government set up an Advocacy Committee to stop pipeline vandalization in the creeks of the state? Who is the committee headed by the deputy governor going to meet in the creeks, is it Itsekiri militants or Ijaw militants. “I said it before that we all know those bombing the installations, they are going to meet them. If he says he is not the one, then, he should challenge in me, he can go to court. “I have my business that I am doing before I was dragged into the pipeline surveillance contract he was talking about under the late President Umaru Yar’Adua government. They did not bring me because I was the one bursting the pipelines, I was brought in because of my pedigree,” he said. Ayiri asserted: “There is nothing Tompolo will say that will make me backpedal in my support for the President Muhammadu Buhari government, he should come out from hiding and face the charges against him.”
