Attack On Tompolo: Stop Displaying Supine Ignorance, Challenge Olu’s N138.7 Billion Contract, Ozobo Tells Urhobo Youth Leaders

By Ola Omoniyi, Lagos

Following the call to split or halt the renewal of Tompolo’s Security Contract by Urbobo youth leaders, a Niger Delta rights activist Comrade Ozobo Austin has told the protesting Urbobo Youths Association to challenge the Olu of Warri N138.7 billion pipeline surveillance contract, and stop displaying crass ignorance.

This is according to a statement he signed and a copy was sent to newsmen in Warri on Friday.

Ozobo described Urbobo youth leaders challenging Tompolo as poor students of history, noting that such youths should remember how Tompolo brought them to the limelight.

According to him, only a dog would leave a full head of a cow and go for a bone, stressing that the singular act of the Urbobo youths exposed the level of the supine ignorance of such youths in the scheme of things in Niger Delta.

He said no well-meaning youth would be comfortable with the Olu’s N138.7 billion surveillance contract and being disturbed with Tompolo’s N4 billion contract, describing such persons as mischief makers and paid detractors.

Ozobo added that in the amnesty programme that brought about the pipeline surveillance contract to private individuals in Niger Delta, Urbobo youths were not in view but were accommodated because of Tompolo’s benevolence.

The statement reads, “The programme was meant for only agitators in 2009, there was no agitator to have merited such amnesty benefits in Urbobo land at that time, but Urbobo youths were given access to the programme when Tompolo instructed coordinators of the programme to consider armed robbers, kidnappers, hunters and individuals who have locally made barrels and cutlass to access the benefits, and that man needs to be applauded.

“No Urbobo youth ever called to halt or split Hosa’s contract when he was the only person handling the entire contract in the whole of the Niger Delta and making fake employments and arresting people who challenge him.
It was until Ijaw activists and youths mobilised against Capt Okunbor Hosa that the full contract was split.

“More annoying is that Olu of Warri who is not a stakeholder in the Niger Delta emancipation struggle is doing nothing with N138.7 billion contracts and no employment but the so-called Urbobo youths see nothing wrong in it. What a pity!

“Tompolo decentralises his contract to every state that is involved in the contract, and he gave thousands of slots to Urbobo youths during the first phase of the security contract but their leaders manipulated it. So the anger of the Urbobo youths should be channelled to their leaders and Olu who is handling 75 per cent of the pipeline surveillance contract in the Niger Delta without decentralisation and single employment.

“I advise Urbobo youths to stop displaying crass ignorance and always be progressive in minds. They should learn and make enquiries before speaking on issues.”

Ozobo called on President Tinubu and members of the public to disregard the sponsored voice under the Urbobo Youth Leaders Association calling for a halt in the contract’s renewal.