₦airaland Forum

WARRI—FORMER Niger Delta militant leader, Chief Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, will not appear before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, which penultimate Wednesday ordered him to report to the commission today (Thursday) or be declared wanted, Vanguard has learned.

EFCC is investigating Tompolo over alleged fraudulent sale of land to government at N13 billion and first invited him to appear at its Lagos office, November 25, but he responded through his solicitors, saying he was already in court with the agency.

Sources close to him told Vanguard, yesterday, “He will not appear, we do not trust the EFCC to be fair to him. In the first instance, he had no land deal with government, it was his buildings for the International Diving School, Kurutie, that government purchased for the Federal Maritime University, Okerenkoko, Warri South-West Local Government Area, Delta State, but they are twisting the story.”

The EFCC was unambiguous in its December 9 letter by Head of Operations, Iliasu Kwabai, requesting Tompolo to report at its office on December 17, failing which he will be declared wanted.

One of Tompolo’s men, who did not want his name in print, said: “Let me reiterate that our stand is that he (Tompolo) will not go to EFCC. He had made the point clear through his lawyer. He is in court with EFCC and will not appear before a commission that does not have respect for the law.

“We maintain that EFCC is partial. It has flagrantly disobeyed court rulings without any reason and we do not have faith in the commission. We all saw how it condescendingly treated the former Director General of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, and flouted court orders in respect of the former National Security Adviser, NSA, Sambo Dasuki,” he said.

Mixed reactions

The probability of EFCC declaring Tompolo wanted and launching a manhunt for him if he fails to honour the invitation is generating diverse reactions in the state.

The Joint Task Force in the Niger Delta in June 2009 declared Tompolo wanted over the disappearance of 16 service personnel of the Nigerian armed forces and mounted a search for him without finding him. The ex-militant leader surfaced at Abuja in October 2009 to accept presidential amnesty from the Federal Government under the regime of former President Umaru Yar’Adua.

Some Ijaw natives in Delta State and other parts of the Niger Delta see him as a liberator, but others see him as an oppressor.

There are speculations that he had gone into hiding, but sources close to him denied it, saying, “It is not true.”

No tension over his invitation, says Ayiri

However, Niger Delta activist and All Progressives Congress, APC, chieftain in Delta State, Chief Ayiri Emami, who spoke to Vanguard on phone, dismissed purported tension in the region over the matter and advised Tompolo to honourably report to the EFCC.

He said, “My advice to him is to appear before EFCC, instead of creating unnecessary embarrassment for himself. He needs to go there and clear himself and not sit at home mouthing some things because nobody is above the law.”

A group, Ijaw People Development Initiative, IPDI, Warri, led by Mr. Austin Ozobo, however, disagreed with Ayiri, saying, “We condemn the invitation. The Federal Government was not forced into acquisition of the assets by Tompolo, as it passed through the Federal Executive Council, FEC, which approved the purchase. EFCC is painting a wrong picture of the government that handled the land deal.”

AS part of the effort to acquaint members of the diplomatic community with the direction of its foreign policy, the Federal Government, yesterday, summoned foreign ambassadors serving in Nigeria for a meeting.

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, who addressed over 50 envoys present at the maiden meeting, said the country’s foreign policy would seek to pursue the three pillars that constitute the domestic priority programmes of the present administration.

According to Onyeama, these key programmes, which include combating insecurity, the fight against corruption and rejuvenating the declining economy, constitute the major operational challenges of our foreign policy.

The minister, who called for international support towards achieving the President Muhammadu Buhari change agenda, said an effective and dynamic foreign policy requires a solid and functional domestic base.

He said: “Accordingly, the overall goal of our diplomatic exertions, to be pursued in the context of the three pillars of the present administration, is to facilitate the emergence of a secure, stable, viable, resilient and prosperous Nigerian state.

“On combating insecurity, our foreign policy exertions will seek to consolidate and strengthen cooperation and partnerships at the regional, continental and global levels.

“In the fight against corruption, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will synergise with other relevant ministries and agencies with a view to supporting their activities. In this regard, we will place our diplomatic resources and reach at their disposal in monitoring, tracing and facilitating the recovery of stolen funds and assets stashed abroad.”

Onyeama, who noted the magnitude of illegal activities in Nigeria’s oil sector, called for the support of their governments and organisations in persuading multinational oil companies, international financial institutions and international shipping lines to cooperate fully with the efforts of the Nigerian government in cleaning up the sector.

ctsar:
They should have used rubber bullets and water cans etc... Some idiots come here to say thrash.. Kudos to the army.. The more they kill, the safer I feel..

porka:
Did you people not say subsidy was a scam?

Didn't you say it does not exist?

Why remove something that doesn't exist?

Where are those 'oil mathematicians' who know the refining and landing costs of petrol in all the 196 countries of the world?

Where are the emergency petrol marketers who told us that fuel should be sold for exactly N40 or below in Nigeria?

khristals:
hahahahahahahaha!.. real funny!

can Obj be probed?

obinnashady:
Probe Oracle

The Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, urged President Muhammadu Buhari to make the war against corruption total by being bold enough to probe the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo and others about how they spent their security votes.
Accusing the president of being selective in the fight against corruption, he said, “I support the fight against corruption but it has to be total. Buhari must be bold enough to probe how ex-presidents Obasanjo, Babangida and others spent their security votes.
“All the Presidents that had come in Nigeria spent their security votes in the same pattern. So, Buhari must open the book and come out with facts.”
Fayose also urged his colleagues to conduct elections in the local governments, saying the caretaker committee was an aberration.


Meanwhile, an Ekiti State High Court on Monday dismissed the suit filed by the All Progressives Congress against the composition of the Ekiti State Independent Electoral Commission.


Justice Dele Omotoso, who held that the opposition party in the state failed to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt, also refused to stop the local governments election slated for this Saturday.
The APC had alleged that members of the electoral body constituted by Fayose were card-carrying members of the Peoples Democratic Party, so could not conduct a free and fair election.

Listed as PDP members by the APC are the SIEC Chairman, Justice Kayode Bamisile (retd), Victoria Olufunke Adeyera, Ganiyu Bello, Mojisola Florence Bankole, Rufus Sunday Olaiya and Olajide Vincent Adeyeye.
The APC in a statement by its state Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatubosun, has however vowed to challenge the judgment at the Court of Appeal.


The party contended that the judgment “cannot stand the judicial efficiency and legal scrutiny of the appellate court.
“We will not allow the charade called SIEC to stand. We maintain that the composition of Ekiti SIEC did not follow the due process and provision of the law.”


Speaking at the PDP’s secretariat on Monday while presenting party flags to chairmanship and councilorship candidates of the party, Fayose described the local governments as the closest to the people.
“Not every person can be opportune to see the governor, but many people can see the Chairman of a local government. So, I want to appeal to my colleague governors to move away from antidemocratic way. A governor is elected to do what is right and that we must do.


“But in the Local Government polls in Ekiti, we won’t conduct inconclusive elections. I appeal to our people to come out en masse and vote. APC decided to boycott the election because they know we will give them 16-0 in the chairmanship and 177-0 in the councilorship,” he said.
The governor said his intention to conduct the Local Government elections on December 19 was borne out of his desire to ensure that Ekiti moved away from the era of anti-democratic and pseudo-democratic tendencies.

A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos was, yesterday, told that former Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Director-General, Raymond Omatseye, awarded contracts in accordance with the Procurement Act.
Ex-NIMASA DG, Temisan Omatseye

Ex-NIMASA DG, Temisan Omatseye

Omatseye is standing trial on an amended 27-count charge of alleged bid rigging.

At the resumed hearing in the case, a subpoenaed witness, Mr Abdulahi Mohammed, from the Federal Ministry of Justice, told the court that all contracts awarded by the accused were within the threshold allowed by the Act.
Led in evidence by defence counsel, Mr Edoka Onyeke, the witness said that on February 13, 2013, a letter was received from the office of the Chief of Staff.

He said that the letter urged the Attorney-General of the Federation to act on a letter it received from the Bureau of Public Procurement, BPP, which absolved Omatseye of approving contracts above his threshold.

“The letter, which was signed by Chief Mike Oghiadomhe, was received, stamped and forwarded to the former Attorney-General of the Federation. The A-G minuted it to the Solicitor- General who forwarded same to the Director of Public Prosecution, DPP.

“The DPP in turn, minuted same to a lawyer for action as is done in the ministry,” he said

The witness, however, told the court that when the file came back to him, it was marked “keep in view.”

He said that the file remained there, until it was subpoena by the Federal High Court, Lagos.

According to the witness, an internal memo with reference number BPP/PRES/2013/04 noted that all procurement by the accused were within the approved thresholds of NIMASA.

After listening to the witness, the court adjourned the case to February 22, 2016 for continuation.

The accused is charged by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, with contract splitting and bid rigging to the tune of N1.5 billion.

Flets:
And zombies would swallow hook, line and sinker.

How exactly would this govt predict prices after subsidy removal? Only the market forces will determine prices

SirJeffry:
You don't attack a stronger enemy first my dear else you loose the backing of the god of equity and clean hands.
From world records, Shiite Muslims are more dangerous than Sunnis when provoked unjustly.
NA is not well trained and equipped to combat terrorism, we all know that.
Instead of them to use diplomacy and avoid unnecessary wars, they are there posing as lions when its obvious they are cats.

erunz:
God Help us, I just hope this will not go the way of BH

Bekwarra:
Keynote speaker in US while Buhari is busy attending owanbe in Benin Republic.

erunz:
While my hero keeps gaining more international recognition, Ajala Buhari is confused on how bring the scam he called change he promised Nigerians

Bigmillz:
Oga Jona still winning. Apc still crying and blaming. Chai

nnachukz:
The international entities recognises this man's selfless impart to our economy in such a way that we never felt the heat we are feeling now. They are not sentimental nor zombies like Buhari's supporters who believe every lie that Buhari dishes out to them without rational thinking. Outside being in power now has Buhari been invited for any global event since he left office in 1984.

byrron:

He is definitely gonna export inconclusive elections to them like the one conducted under his supervision in Bayelsa state

Omambala1:
Nigeria will do what?

This man is really a certified Idi.ot!

In Nigeria, it takes INEC 5days to conduct election in just one LGA. So I ask, how do you hope to assist Benin republic?

You want to inflict them with you ineptitude and share stupidity?

arresa:
What award and who is giving the award?


Where is their website?

Obviously not the bogus geneva nonsense you people posted...

arresa:
Unfortunately, there is nothing like world economic circle...


Sounds bogus and ridiculous.


What sane and credible international organization gives awards to world's most crooked, corrupt and incompetent president in the history of mankind..


Award ko, nomination ni...

demarc001:
Waiting for #1 = $1

Aufbauh:
They have eyes but they can not see,
They have ears but can not hear and they have heart but can not comprehend the fruition of change the present administration is bringing to bear through carefully planned initiatives and methodological implementations.

Bunch of those crying for us today about the ineffectiveness of the present administration are those who never believe in the administration from the onset.
I asked how can a man who never see what i saw nor believe in my dream understand the interpretation better than i do? That is traversity of intelligence!

It is foolhardy on me to expect a world beyond the world from a government of 7 months that has the mandate of 4 years considering the inherent systematic rot in the land.

I am a believer of the change movement and going by my ideology, i don't quit my belief by the immediate challenges or people's opinion. I can only quit when i have had a learned helplessness.

I am highly optimistic that come 2019 we will celebrate Nigeria and Nigerians under the able leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari GCFR.

nnachukz:
Well read and well meaning Nigerians are saying there is nothing in reality to show there is any change on ground. They have gone ahead to accurately equate PDP to APC but some zombies will keep shouting PDP destroyed us forgetting that the constituents of APC are the same PDP members. Wailers membership growing daily, soon all will turn to wailing wailers. proudly 5%.

Xapio:
Good for them..They voted for change

Goldencollins:
why wont they stone the midget after all he has never sat down to govern that state always shuttling to Abuja at the slightest opportunity.

watts75:
I saw the video it was not El Rufai but the Chairman of Zaria north LGA

tomakint:
Behold their response to their beloved diminutive Governor.....

STARGREEN:
He needs to be briefed on current economic conditions of Nigeria during this his brief visit. Without being on ground I wonder how he's going to make positive impact or rather CHANGE