Ex-militant Ekpemupolo, (alias Tompolo) has
denied any involvement in the $16 billion
Export Processing Zone (EPZ) project crisis
rocking Delta State. In a bid to clear himself of
any wrong doing, Tompolo released a statement
today where he accused the current Delta state
governor, Emmanuel Uduaghan and his
predecessor, Jame Ibori of trying to use the
project to collect the land belonging to his
people, the Ijaws of Gbaramatu kingdom.
He also accused human rights lawyer, Festus
Keyamo of being used to blackmail his person.
See the long statement after the cut...
RE: DELTA EPZ AND MATTERS ARISING
MY TAKE IS ON JUSTICE, EQUITY AND FAIRNESS
So much has been said about the $16 Billion
Export Processing Zone (EPZ) which is meant to
galvanize Nigeria’s economic growth through
adequate gas processing and supply, using our
dear Delta State as the hub. For one, I am
happy as a Deltan that this laudable project is
being planned and nurtured in my time,
especially on the heels of our fight for the need
by government to industrialize and enhance our
economic well-being in the oil-rich Niger Delta
Region.
Nonetheless, I am not persuaded by the
nebulous and loudly-echoed ‘economic and
industrial gains’ slogan being orchestrated by
some forces hiding under the EPZ Project to re-
launch a back-door move for the acquisition of
lands belonging to the people of Gbaramatu
Kingdom in Warri South-West Local Government
Area of Delta State. In this regard, I stand on
the side of my people as I have always done, to
ensure that the voice of reason was raised and
heard by the powers that be. As a peace-loving
Kingdom, the people of Gbaramatu had used all
civil and legal means to ensure that justice was
done by the federal government by not going
ahead with the planned ground-breaking
ceremony in the face of clear injustice,
unfairness and inequity.
As a result, many insinuations and perverted
comments have been made by both interested
and rented parties to the effect that ethnic
colourations have been brought to the fore by
linking the justifiable postponement of the
ground-breaking to President Goodluck
Jonathan’s ‘soft-spot’ for the Ijaws of Gbaramatu
Kingdom.
It should be noted however, that the struggle of
the people Gbaramatu Kingdom for both
political and economic rights pre-dates the
Jonathan Presidency. History is replete with
courses of events as far as the struggle of the
oppressed people of Gbaramatu Kingdom is
concerned. It is no longer news to all that our
Itsekiri neighbours, using all advantages of
being in government and power since the time
of former governor, Chief James Ibori(whose
mother is Itsekiri) as well as the incumbent
governor, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan(also an
Itsekiri) who both as commissioner and later
Secretary to State Government under Ibori,
cannot insulate himself from the calculated
attempt by the government-backed Itsekiri’s
attempts to enslave Gbaramatu Kingdom.
It should therefore be placed on record that if
the belief of the people of Gbaramatu Kingdom
in their just and fair struggle saw them through
thick and thin since the time of Ibori till date,
the same spirit still lives on; and such does not
need the ‘soft spot’ of a Nigerian President of
Ijaw extraction to take the people to their
rightful place. It was (still) this belief in a just
and fair struggle that in spite of glaring
attempts by both Ibori (then) and Uduaughan
(now) to exterminate the Gbaramatu Kingdom to
the advantage of their kinsmen, I made
conscious efforts to respect the institution they
represent. In essence, I refrained from abusing
their persons as some Itsekiri leaders have
mindlessly done in the case of the
postponement of the ground-breaking ceremony
by the President.
Perhaps, it is unfortunate to note that all those
Itsekiri leaders, especially Pa J.O. Ayomike who
betrayed uncontrollable and misplaced
sentiments by abusing the person of the
president and calling for his resignation would
have achieved better things and indeed, much
development would have come to their
impoverished Itsekiri villages if such energy was
deployed to ginger their son, who is now
governor, to bring development to their areas.
The Ayomikes of this world should rather be
expressing worry and bury their heads in shame
that the over 12 years of their sons in
government and power in Delta State are more
of curses than blessings to their people. The
case of those vilifying President Jonathan is that
of bottled-up anger and transferred aggression
ordinarily targeted at those who looked the
other way in the face of the sufferings of their
people to a man who tried to do justice by
listening to all sides of an issue.
What Does Festus Keyamo Want?
This question has become imperative in view of
the rented roles the Lagos-based Lawyer has
played in the last couple of weeks in the affairs
of the state especially as they relate to the
people of Gbaramatu Kingdom in Warri South-
West Local Government Area of Delta State.
Before now, I had seen Keyamo as a young
promising lawyer whose passion to fight
oppression was unquenchable. I see him as a
brother and friend because there is still time
for him to stratify rented and commercialized
struggle from passionate human and civil rights
crusade.
As a matter of fact, Keyamo’s continuous linkage
with me to purported attempts close crime is
unacceptable to me. At best, Keyamo knows too
well that those whose flair for injustice I fight
against, those who have been severally linked to
murders in Delta State who today are his latter-
day friends, are not men of conscience. As a
human rights lawyer (as claimed by Keyamo), his
efforts to unearth the killers of Onokpite Ogbe
were applauded by many, including me. I was
even tempted to disbelieve others when
accusations of ‘unpalatable practices’ trailed
Keyamo’s sudden u-turn to abandon the
Onokpite’s case. But today, I have no reason to
disbelieve such against the backdrop of
Keyamo’s role in the orchestrated EPZ Crisis. In
the face of Keyamo’s sudden u-turn in character,
it is absurd to ask him if would have not have
done what I did on behalf of my people should
he find himself in my shoes. I therefore find
very curious Keyamo’s attempt to demonize me
especially when it is obvious that since I
willingly embraced the Federal Government
Amnesty offer, I have selflessly, at high risks
too, contributed to the enhancement of peace
and security in the entire Niger-Delta Region. I
will therefore urge Keyamo to be on the side of
truth and justice rather than being on the side
of injustice because conscience is an open
wound, only the truth can heal it.
Conclusion:
My appeal to all men of conscience is to ensure
that justice and fairness are made the
cornerstone of human existence. Where these
do not exist, it will be difficult for society to
make progress. The case of the plight of the
people of Gbaramatu Kingdom in Warri South-
West Local Government Area of Delta is clear
and unambiguous. The precepts for injustice
and ingredients of inequality are daily being
planted by those who find themselves in
positions of authority and influence, especially
in Delta State.
It should therefore be known that those who
deliberately drag the name of President
Jonathan into this blackmail game are doing
this to perpetuate injustice. This is the crux of
the matter. But little do they know that the
struggle has been an age-long one, predating
the president’s ascendancy to office and
through the will of God, my people have been
forging ahead. In the same vein, the struggle
might also post-date President Jonathan unless
the issues of injustice that have continually set
the Gbaramatu and Itsekiri ethnic nationalities
against each are permanently resolved. The
Gabramatu people cannot be intimidated by
any resort to blackmail, using ethnic cards.
Similarly, I will not succumb to any cheap
blackmail aimed at weakening my resolve to
fight for my people because this is a matter of
conscience and posterity. I shall not waiver
even in the face of threat and intimidation of
all sorts until justice is done.
Thanks and God bless,
SIGNED:
HIGH CHIEF GOVERNMENT EKPEMUPOLO
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