Ex-Niger Delta Militant Leaders Threaten To Strike Activist, Ozobo For Attacking Olu Of Warri

Former militants leaders from the six states of the Niger Delta region have warned that they would strike anyone making “misguided comments” over the renewal of the $1.3 billion pipeline surveillance contracts awarded to Government Ekpemupolo also known as Tompolo.

The former agitators under the Anti-Pipeline Vandalisation and Crude Oil Theft Taskforce Group and the Coalition of ex-militant leaders forum of Ijaw and Itsekiri in Delta State, said this in a release, while reacting to a comment by a political activist, Austin Ozobo, who said the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse, had a lion share of the surveillance contract.

Ozobo had asked the ex-militants leaders fighting against Tompolo to call for the revocation of Olu of Warri N138.7billion Pipeline Surveillance Contract if they were not envious of Tompolo’s success and global relevance.
He had said this in a statement which he signed and sent to newsmen on Friday.
But the coalition of the ex-militant groups, led by the National Coordinator of the group, Gen, Osama and the Coalition of Ijaw and Itsekiri Ex Militant Leaders Forum jointly signed by the two ex- Militant Leaders, Gen. Oritsegbubemi also known as Action Papa, said the open disrespect of the throne of His Imperial Majesty, the Olu of Warri Kingdom, Ogiame Atuwatse III CFR is an affront, disrespectful, disheartening, insultive and provocative.

The groups also declared open disrespect and derogatory to the Imperial Majesty, the Olu of Warri Kingdom, Ogiame Atuwatse III CFR, “And on the foregoing if Mr Ozobo refuses to tender an open apology to the highly respected Olu Of Warri Kingdom, who is one of the most respected Federal Monarch’s in the Niger Delta who is a member of Council Of Nigeria Traditional Rulers (NTRC) which is the Apex Council of all Traditional Rulers in the country”

According to them, “Ozobo was playing a script that is already conceived by his paymasters, whose payroll he belongs to, and vowed to go after him and will smoke him out in no distant time if he refuses to discontinue from such attack to the Olu Of Warri Kingdom, because they are on his trail to track him down already, and Mr Austin Ozobo is too small to match their firepower in the Warri environs and in Niger Delta, if the dance begin”.

The statement reads in part, “It is with serious anger we are putting out this, because we are really saddened by the boldness of Mr Austin Ozobo who hails from Ayakoromo community under Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State that is not a host to any of the oil facilities in Niger Delta, neither produce a single drop of Oil, either a host to any pipeline in the Niger Delta to put out such demean disheartening, disgusting and unprintable insultive words to drag the personality of our revered Olu Of Warri Kingdom, who is a peaceful initiator, major unifier of different ethnic nationalities in the Niger Delta,.”

“A job provider, vanguard of peace building and development, and a foresighted monarch that is highly respected before the international communities with all sense of humility and humour to be described as a non stakeholder in the Niger Delta region and went as far as calling for the Revocation of the Olu Of Warri portion of the pipeline surveillance contract Job being operated by Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited PINL, Company in the region.”

“It is not surprised to us for Ozobo who is a jobless fellow that is roaming about in Warri environs searching for daily survival, we know very well that Mr Ozobo will always do anything possible to protect his cup of tea, as far as it pleases his paymasters no matter who’s ox is gored, therefore we are not surprised at these outburst, but it is unfortunate and uncalled for, for such disheartening diminishing, disrespectful and provocative comments, for him to carelessly put out a blackmailing insultive and derogatory Statement, which he had the guts to call for the Revocation of the Olu Of Warri portion of the pipeline surveillance contract Job being operated by Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL) and referred the Olu Of Warri Kingdom to a non-stakeholder in the Niger Delta that not supposed to benefit from the pipeline surveillance contract in the region.”

“But the ex-militant leaders advised him to refrain from using such unwarranted unreasonable poor senseless insightful carless and demean comments not to be channeled to the revered Olu Of Warri Kingdom any longer in other to do him a good, if not he will be smoked out and pay dearly for such irritating comments,  online and social media space henceforth.”

The Militant group want to know, what really prompt Mr Austin Ozobo for making such careless comments and unfounded facts about His Imperial Majesty on social media? That the Olu is not a stakeholder in the Niger Delta as such he is not supposed to benefit in the pipeline surveillance contract job in the region?The painful aspect of it all is that, Mr Ozobo also went far as to alleged that it was Tompolo who single handedly fought hard to secure these multi-million dollar pipeline surveillance contract job.”

“We want the presidency, Nigerians and Niger Deltans to know that, the revered Imperial Majesty OGIAME ATUWATSE III (CFR) the Olu Of Warri Kingdom is the host to the largest bulk of Oil and Gas facilities in the Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State that is host to Chevron Nigeria Limited and other major oil companies, and host to the Trans Escravos Warri Kaduna NNPC major delivery pipeline, the same time, the Olu Of Warri is host to most of the NNPC/NPDC/Shell Nigeria Limited and Chevron Nigeria Limited Oil facilities under Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State”.

“The same thing applicable to Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State, the Olu Of Warri is also host to a major part in the OML30 Trans Forcados Pipeline (TFP) that is 48 inch line that cut across over 1,11 communities that is being operated by Shell/NNPC/Heritage Company from the Forcados terminal.” 

“It is also imperative to point out that the Itsekiri tribe in which the Olu Of Warri is their revered monarch is the largest crude oil producing tribe in Delta State and also the Olu Of Warri contribute a large portion of the over 1.2 to 1.6 million barrels of crude oil daily production output to the Federation that is being shared as revenue to the 36 States and Fct with the 774 Local Government Areas of the country. Therefore Mr Ozobo and his paymasters should take note of this verifiable fact about the Olu Of Warri kingdom and his dominance in Delta state, as a personality.”

“Lastly, Mr Austin Ozobo should wake up from slumber and ignorance about the Tompolo pipeline surveillance contract job that is being operated by Tantita Security Company. The total amount of $370,807,173.00 annually and not N4 billion that is falsely spread in the public domain to deceive and blind fold timid people like Ozobo who are naysayers that is under their payroll with peanuts.”

“Mr Ozobo and the general public should know that, the above Trans Niger Pipeline (TFP) surveillance contract was awarded to the tune of over ($1. 3billion dollar) which is over N1.trillion naira, and it was shared into three portion, Eastern corridor, Western corridor and Central corridor, and the Western corridor was awarded to Tompolo’s Tantita Security Company at the total sum of $370,807,173.00, in dollars therefore Mr Austin Ozobo and his fellow disgruntled and misguided elements who are naysayers in the region should wake up from slumber and open their eyes, and never again appoint accusing fingers to the Olu Of Warri henceforth. The Militant group warned”