ODAHIEKWU OGUNDE, Yenagoa
A coalition of militant groups in the Niger Delta, under the auspices of Supreme Egbesu Freedom Fighters (SEFF), has vowed that they would not go back on the seven-day ultimatum issued to the Federal Government by a foremost ex-militant leader, Chief Government Ekpemukpolo, alias Tompolo.
The militants, therefore, advised the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, to call off the stakeholders’ meeting on the recent protests against the non-constitution of a substantive board for the Niger Delta Development Commission.
Senator Akpabio was said to have through his ministry’s Permanent Secretary, initiated moves to stop Tompolo from fulfilling his threat of renewed hostilities in the oil region if the government failed to inaugurate the NDDC board by June 6, 2021.
The militants reacting through an electronic statement issued yesterday by the Commanding Officer of the SEFF, self-styled Major General Agadaga Obus, aka Thunderstorm, advised Akpabio to discontinue the meeting as his moves would not stop the action put in place to shut down oil exploration activities in the region in line with Tompolo’s ultimatum.
The coalition said: “In line with the subsisting ultimatum, we have vowed to shut down oil flow stations and most of the Major NNPC, Shell and Chevron oil pipelines in the creeks after the expiration of the one week ultimatum that has been declared by Tompolo.
“The ultimatum has been declared because of the alleged Presidency connivance with Akpabio and his cronies refusal to inaugurate the NDDC board for over two years in the name of a fake, stage-managed and unending forensic audit.
“The forensic audit is just a mere fraudulent creation by Akpabio to deceive the Presidency as a ploy to divert billions of funds and deprive the other oil producing states and ethnic nationalities not to be represented on the board of the commission.
“We have resolved that there is no going back on the proposed ultimatum to resume fresh hostilities in the creeks to shut down oil flow stations and to bring down crude oil production to zero level if the Presidency refuses to yield to the outcry of the people of Niger Delta including various ethnic nationalities, traditional rulers, elder statesmen, Southsouth governors and other critical stakeholders.”