NDDC Board: Crisis looms in Niger Delta as Ateke Tom backs Tompolo’s 7-day ultimatum

Friday, June 4, 2021 5:06 pm

King Ateke Tom

By Okafor Ofiebor /Port Harcourt

More trouble looms in Niger Delta as as Ateke Tom, the Amayanabo of Okochiri kingdom in Rivers state has thrown his weight behind the seven days ultimatum issued to the Federal Government by one of the leaders of ex-militant in the region, Government Ekpemukpolo, popularly known as Tompolo to constitute of the board for the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

Tompolo has threatened that ex-militants may resume hostilities through attacks on oil production assets in the region if the Federal Government failed to constitute the board of NDDC at the end of the ultimatum.

Ateke Tom, who is also a former warlord and leader of the Niger Delta Vigilante Force, through a statement signed by his Chief of Staff, Chief Tamunokonba Akaluogbo on Friday said he is supporting the seven days ultimatum due to the continued insincerity and open deceit adopted in the management of affairs of NDDC and the oil producing region at large by the Niger Delta Affairs Minister, Senator Godswill Akpabio.

But King Ateke Tom also appealed to President Muhammad Buhari to heed to the clamour by the stakeholders in the region for the immediate constitution of a substantive board for NDDC, despite the ongoing forensic audit of the accounts of the Commission.

According to him, stakeholders in the region are desirous of sustaining the existing peace in the region despite the rising insecurity in the South East and other regions.

He pointed out that the setting up of a substantive board is not too big to ask by a region disposed to keeping the peace and rejecting secessionist pressure.

Tompolo

His words: “It is clear that Akpabio is deceitful and he means no good to the Niger Delta region, particularly the Ijaws given his attitude towards reconstituting the Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC. Time and time, the Minister has failed in his promises and he is using the forensic audit as a decoy for his selfish aims.

“I urged him to do the needful before the region tint towards upheaval of break down of law and order again because his ineptitude and lack of genuine concern for the demands of people are capable of degenerating into violence which I don’t pray for. “

Akpabio was at Oporoza, the headquarters of Gbaramatu kingdom in Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State to meet Government Ekpemupolo Tompolo and other stakeholders in attempt to stave off crisis and imminent disruption of crude oil business in the Niger Delta before the expiry date of the seven days ultimatum handed down by Tompolo on Thursday.

However, Tompolo and other stakeholders told the Minister point-blank that NDDC board must be constituted before the lapse of the seven days ultimatum.

Analysts are worried that unless there is a last minute change, the stand of influential personalities like Tompolo and King Ateke Tom and other notable stakeholders are capable of triggering serious socio-economic crisis the region and the country through disruption of oil production facilities.