BLUEBLOCK: Nigeria's former Niger Delta warlords now govt made millionaires: Part 2

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Nigeria's former Niger Delta warlords now govt made millionaires: Part 2

Thursday, August 30, 2012 | Posted by Blueblock | | Edit Post

Ebele and the 'boys'

And today, Tompolo is one of Nigeria's most influential government contractors with access to President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. NigeriansSavingNigerians.org comments on the irony:

"Only three years ago, he was a fugitive. In May 2009, [he was] declared... the most wanted man in Nigeria... his band of militants in the Gbaramutu creeks of the Niger Delta [were accused] of executing... 11 soldiers – one officer and 10 junior men... illegitimate bunkering, operating illegal refineries, vandalising oil pipelines, engaging in kidnapping and.... piracy..[Nigerian troops] stormed the Okerenkoko operations headquarters of Tompolo where they found were numerous rifles, machine guns, Uzzi guns, Army mistin carriers, dynamite and gun boats. In the Niger Delta, Government Ekpemupolo, ruthless, invincible and taciturn, was and is indeed, a government all of his own."

Jonathan's sweetheart relationship with the former Niger Delta warlords comes with the risk of accusation of nepotism because he is also a native of the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. Several northern leaders have accused him of pursuing an ethnic agenda. He has been accused of redeploying a former Minister of Transport Yusuf Suleiman (a northerner), to the Ministry of Sports for querying a top aide about an issue involving Tompolo.

'The Boko Haram boys are watching'

When in 2009, the government of the late Alhaji Umar Musa Yar' Adua announced its amnesty program, Nigerians were treated to the spectacle of young men on TV handing over rifles, machine guns, rockect launchers, anti-aircraft guns and gunboats in exchange for lavish financial rewards. Under the amnesty arrangement, the government pays living allowances to former militants and sponsors them for vocational training. The Nigerian state oil company allegedly pays $31.8 million a year to two former rebel leaders, General Ebikabowei "Boyloaf" Victor Ben and Gen. Ateke Tom. "General" Tompolo continues to enjoy his $22.9 million-a -year contract.

The WSJ paints a vivid picture of the life of opulence former warlords enjoyed after the amnesty:

"Some of the leaders took up residence in the executive floors of Abuja's Hilton and through much of 2010 and early 2011 spent weeks or months enjoying the Executive Lounge's complimentary supply of Hennessey V.S.O.P. cognac, priced at $51 a shot on the room-service menu. Over a buffet of fiery Nigerian dishes—gumbos, Jollof rice pilafs, goat stews—they rubbed shoulders with the country's leading politicians and influence peddlers, who often live in the floor's $700-a-night art-deco rooms."

The WSJ reports that top Nigerian officials spoken to do not think the lavish expenses are a liability in spite of inability of the state to maintain basic infrastructures such as roads, power plants and water supply. Oronto Douglas, a senior adviser to Jonathan, asked: "If it's too huge, what are the alternatives? Mutiu Sunmonu, manging director of Shell's Nigerian unit, said, "For you to address the whole issue of poverty and development, you need some kind of peace. That is what I think the amnesty program has offered." The incidence of "oil-theft business" dropped immediately after the "settlement," but recently it is on the rise again. A Shell official said: "It's quite an escalation. If nothing is done, it will continue to increase because more and more people will just come to feel that this is a gold field. We're not going to give up on this and run away from it. We believe it can be stopped." According to The WSJ, Royal Dutch Shell PLC reports that more than 150,000 barrels of oil are stolen from Nigeria's pipeline every day. A government mediator commented: "Everybody seems to believe…that the Niger Delta problem is over. It's just on pause. The challenge is to move from pause to stop." The rise in oil-theft activities come at a time the country is also facing challenges from the radical Islamic group Boko Haram in northern Nigeria. The group is waging a bloody guerrilla campaign against the state. Recently, some legislators suggested that the government should extend the treatment of peace by "financial settlement" to Boko Haram also. The message seems clear, militancy has its rewards in Nigeria. The Boko Haram boys are watching.

Source: Digital Journal