Ex Militant, Tompolo's Boys Defy President Buhari and Vow to Set Nigeria Ablaze

The highly elusive Tompolo, who has been in hiding since declared wanted by a court, may not be prepared to be seen any time soon as his boys apparently mean to upset the country.

 

Tompolo

 

Informed sources from the Niger Delta, claim that former militant commander, Government Ekpemupolo, better known as Tompolo, has ordered his boys to blow up more pipelines and plunge the nation into oil crisis if soldiers who have invaded Gbaramutu Kingdom in search of him, and ransacking the whole creeks, are not withdrawn.

 

The High Court sitting in Lagos had in January sought for the arrest over charges of corruption in excess of N30 Billion levelled against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

 

Tompolo, fearing humiliating arrest and detention had defied the court summons. The same court this week permitted the anti-graft agency to confiscate his assets.

 

The blown pipelines in Warri and Port Harcourt were largely attributed to him, though he has vehemently denied. Information at my modest disposal shows that he knows something about the blown pipelines. His boys did the job, but probably out of over zealousness, not on instructions from him.

 

The issue of Tompolo has divided Niger Delta Militants. Ramsey Mukoro, a prominent militant leader warning on Tompolo issue described it as witch-hunt. 

 

According to Mukoro, 'none of us is happy with what is happening to Tompolo and other Ijaw people who served under Jonathan, it is a tribal witch-hunt.' Iwere Peace Movement, a group advocating for Ijaw Nation and through Mr. Merie Oritsejolomi and Johnbull Deghele Omadeli warned against the Tompolo crisis.

 

According to the group “We see the EFCC charges against Tompolo as a plot to arrest him and keep him in detention like the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mr Nnamdi Kanu and the former National Security Adviser, NSA, Sambo Dasuki and murder him in detention”.

 

Another Niger Delta warlord, Mr Africanus Ukparasia also known as General Africa has dismissed the Tompolo threat and given government the assurances that there is nothing can do to destabilize the region, He even offered to help the security agencies dismantle the Tompolo factor. General Africa is still relevant in Niger Delta struggle.

 

Tompolo have been hiding in the creeks, though he has been sighted at Asaba Government House recently, and sighted in few places in Warri and Sapele, the military have not been able to capture him.

 

Tompolo knows what will happen if they catch him. He will most probably be handcuffed, dumped into underground cells, forced to make confessional statements and paraded like a criminal in the courts. The case of Olisa Metuh, Nnamdi Kanu, Raymond Dokpesi and Sambo Dasuki is an indication that Tompolo will be finished off.

 

From his hiding place Tompolo had issued fresh warning to Buhari few days ago. According to the outbursts from the warlord “You can’t send soldiers to destroy a community, arrest young men and rape women in the name of searching for Tompolo. If they claim that everybody in the Ijaw land is a criminal, does it also mean that everybody in the north is a member of Boko Haram?”

 

The dilemma is that if Tompolo surrenders, humiliation untold will accompany him. Ibori may be better than him. If Tompolo fights back, the nation will burn but Gbaramutu Kingdom will be another case of human rights violations in the hands of security agencies. If Tompolo capitulates, the Niger Delta struggle will be buried because this man has enough influence to marshal out formidable forces more than the rest of the groups.

 

Tompolo have vowed to fight back. From what I gathered, has put his people on red alert in such a manner that if anything untoward happens to him, hell will be let loose on oil installations in such a manner that soldiers will be taken by surprise. To the best of my knowledge, he is ready to wreck more havoc, and is not ready to be humiliated like Nnamdi Kanu.

 

What options do Tompolo or correctly put what options do the Niger Deltans have because the embattled militant is a major factor in the Niger Delta struggle. Any humiliation of Tompolo is the humiliation of Niger Delta. It will bring joy and confidence to the bruised ego of Joint Military Patrols and Task Force, whose jobs of policing the creeks were re-assigned to the militant. Soon it will be the turn of Asari Dokubo, and other warlords until all Niger Delta militants are on the run, and the zone becomes another conquered territory.

 

What will the Niger Deltans do to avoid this Tompolo- Buhari war of the creeks and steer the nation out of this conflict. I will discuss it sometime n the future, but before then I advise the Tompolo boys who have sworn to defy Buhari and his soldiers, blow up oil facilities and set Nigeria ablaze to suspend their plans and allow the elders work out a settlement.

Central Bank Orders Nigerian Banks to Return N6.2b Illegal Charges to Customers (Statement)

Nigeria's apex bank has said in a statement that it has compelled Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) to refund N6.2 billion to customers they over charged as cost of transactions in 2015.

 

In a statement made available by the Director, Corporate Communications, of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Ibrahim Mu’azu, in Abuja on Saturday, the nation's apex bank said it compelled Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) to refund N6.2 billion to customers they over charged as cost of transactions in 2015.

 

According to the statement, CBN is always ready to checkmate banks and protect customers from illegal, excessive charges.

 

"The Revised Guide to Bank Charges clearly specifies allowable charges for all banking services; the CBN does not in any way condone the fleecing of banking customers under any guise.

"It was in the quest to provide a strong voice to banks’ customers and moderate the arbitrary charges that the CBN in 2012 established a Consumer Protection Department.

"The CBN has investigated over 6,000 complaints relating to unauthorized bank charges brought to its notice, following which banks have been compelled to refund N6.2 billion to affected customers in 2015 alone.

"The CBN wishes to reiterate its resolve to continuously enforce the provision of the Revised Guide to Bank Charges and urges members of the public to report cases of infringement to enable it investigate and apply sanctions on any erring DMB," it stated.

 

The statement urged bank customers to forward complaints of excessive bank charges to the Director, Consumer Protection Department of the Central Bank.

 

See the official statement below;

 

Wife of Ex Chief of Air Staff, Amosu, Returns N381m to Federal Government

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has recovered N381m from the wife of the immediate past Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Adesola Amosu.

 

Adesola Amosu

 

The EFCC revealed on Saturday that it recovered the N381m from Mrs. Omolara Amosu, wife of the former Chief of Air Staff, in three tranches: N180m, N101m and N100m.

 

According to The Punch, a detective revealed that the money was traced from the account of the Nigeria Air Force to the bank accounts of a company in which Amosu’s wife is a director. He added that Amosu’s wife is a signatory to the accounts.

 

He said, “We recovered N381m from Amosu’s wife, Omolara. Initially, we recovered N180m from her account before another N101m and then N100m. These were monies transferred from Air Force accounts.”

 

Explaining how the money was diverted, the detective added, “They (Air Force officers) sent the money to an account where their wives have interests or are signatories without doing anything.”

 

The Punch reports that a second source within the EFCC said that more properties belonging to the immediate past Chief of Accounts and Budgeting of NAF, Air Vice Marshal J.B. Adigun, had been seized.

 

The detective said a property, which is a quarry located in Ogun State, had equipment worth about $600,000. He, however, did not state the value of the property. 

 

Two weeks ago, houses worth over N2bn in Ikoyi and Victoria Island allegedly belonging to Adigun were seized.

 

The source said, “Adigun is still here with us. We recovered a quarry which he owns. In the quarry there were pieces of equipment worth about $600,000. They have all been impounded and investigations are ongoing.”

 

Amosu, Adigun and over nine air force officers are currently under investigation by the anti-graft agency for the procurement of equipment which was said not to be transparent.

 

Since his detention, Amosu had been quizzed over the procurement of two second-hand Mi-24V Helicopters instead of the recommended Mi-35M series at a cost of $136.9m.

 

The helicopters were alleged not to be operationally airworthy at the time of delivery while a brand new unit of such helicopters costs about $30m.

 

Meanwhile, it was learnt that Amosu and some other officers would be charged to court as soon as the holding charge which the EFCC obtained in court to hold the officers for 30 days from January 28 lapses.

US-Based Rev. Father Beats Up 70-Year-Old Man in Anambra for Allegedly 'Charming Him

A Reverend Father has battered a 70-year-old man in Anambra state after alleging that the old man charmed him.

 

 

A Catholic Priest, Rev. Father Mike Steve Ezeatu, who is based in the United States, shocked worshipers at St Dominic’s Catholic Church, Adazi Enu, Anaocha Local Government Area of Anambra State when he descended on a 70-year-old man and beat him blue black, The Punch reports.

 

Parishioners who spoke with Southern City News, said that the priest had finished celebrating a funeral mass and was about entering his SUV when he sighted the old man identified as Innocent Nwolisa and beckoned on him to come closer.

 

Obeying the call, Nwolisa approached the cleric, who descended on him, accusing the old man of charming him while he was celebrating mass on the pulpit.

 

The first son of the victim, Ebuka Nwolisa, who spoke about the issue, said his father was about to leave the compound of Ifedigbo in Ugweni Ojii, where the funeral mass of one late Ifeoma Ifedigbo, had just been celebrated by Ezeatu, when he was called back by the priest

 

“I think my father went because we are related to the priest and they know each other. My father thought the priest might be calling him to give him special blessing, but what he got was a beating.

“The only saving grace he (reverend father) had was that I was not around; that was why he got way with his action,” an angry Ebuka explained.

 

Another eyewitness, Mr. Arinze Ezeatu, who is a younger brother of the priest said, “Father Mike complained that the old man was releasing evil powers on him while he was at the altar celebrating the mass, and that was the reason for his action."

 

Arinze and Olisa Ezeatu, both younger and elder brothers of the priest, maintained that it was not true that Nwolisa was releasing evil powers on him, but that the reverend father was suspecting that the old man may have supported his brothers, whom the priest has for long been at loggerheads with over land.

 

According to them, “The priest is our brother, but he is more like a curse to us than a blessing. He is based in the US, and can be described as a businessman than a clergy. Because he has money, he has grabbed all our land and we have been in dispute with him.

“We have even reported him to the Bishop of Awka Diocese, Most Reverend Paulinus Ezeokafor, yet he has not let go. The man he beat up is an elder in our extended family, and he has been advising the priest to relinquish the land to us and even settle our rift.

“We think he simply suspected that the man has started siding us after knowing the truth. That is why he beat him up on Friday after celebrating mass.”

 

Meanwhile, Ebuka the first son of the victim, who led his younger brother to the resident Parish priest of St Dominic’s parish to complain about the incident, told Southern City News that his father was recovering.

 

When contacted Mr. Abuchi Onwumelu, the Press Secretary to the Bishop of Awka Diocese, Most Rev, Paulinus Ezeokafor, (Onwumelu) declined comment.

Stop Hanging Out with Poor People, They Won't Make You Rich - Daddy Freeze of Cool FM Writes...

Popular Cool FM Lagos OAP, Daddy Freeze shared a photo of his gold watch on Instagram and explained to his fans why he only does wealthy activities and doesn't associate with poor people.

 

 

Below is what the popular Cool FM, Lagos radio personality, Ifedayo Olarinde, popularly known as Daddy Freeze wrote on his Instagram page;

 

Hilarious? What's Wrong with this Church Banner in Portharcourt? (Photo)

A church banner spotted by the road in Port Harcourt has sparked a hot debate on social media. You need to to see what it is.

 

 

A church banner pictured on the road, has amused a lot of people and since it was posted online as it caused a heated debate among internet users.

 

Can you spot the problem yet? Okay, here it is: social media users were quick to spot out that error in the spelling of 'worldwide'. The name of the church was was supposed to be "Living Covenant Church Worldwide" instead it was written "Living Covenant Church Worldwide"

 

The bone of contention is why on earth the church would leave the banner to grace to road despite the glaring error.

 

A debate among social media users about the issue is on whether the blame is to be placed on the person who designed the banner or on the church who allowed it.

 

What do you think?

Naira in Tatters! President Buhari Must Act Now or Completely Lose Control

Love, business, family, religion, art and patriotism are nothing but shadows of words when a man is starving." O. Henry, 1862-1910.

 

 

The Federal Government of Nigeria is doing a wonderful job fighting corruption. The last time this monster was tackled, head-on in this country, was in 1984, by the same Head of State Buhari. 

 

Then as now, the price of crude oil created the havoc. Then, as now, there were discordant views about whether or not the government should devalue the currency or not. Those on the left wing of Nigerian politics, the Nigerian Labour Congress and socialists who arrogated to themselves the love of the masses, were against devaluation of the currency. 

 

The usual argument is that it will lead to inflation which will negatively impact the masses. The only price increase the NLC favours is wage increase because in their own books of economics wage increases don’t increase the cost of production of goods and services. That one sided and somehow inaccurate reading of economics has always been at play in this country – led by many who either never studied the subject or failed it.

 

However, the Federal Government might be making a drastic mistake if the leaders think that fighting corruption is substitute for putting food on the table. The two are not mutually exclusive and prolonged starvation might even undermine the fight against corruption. Hungry people everywhere don’t care who is jailed. Unless, this perceived monomania is corrected, neither the battle against corruption nor mass starvation will succeed in the long run. 

 

President Buhari must turn his attention to the economy. NOW! The truth is “No government deficit [or any other measure known to man] can create inflation unless the quantity of money [in circulation] goes up.” (G. Haberter, in INFLATION, ITS CAUSES AND CURES, VBQ, p 103). Everybody knows that the classical definition of inflation means too much money chasing too few goods – irrespective of whether those goods are imported or produced locally. 

 

Nigeria remains an import-dependent nation; and we all contributed to making it that way and we have not even started to control our appetite for imports. As long as imported goods constitute a significant percentage of our consumption, we must be prepared to find the dollars to import those products. 

 

On Wednesday, February 17, 2016, the PUNCH tucked into page 28 a story which should have been headline news instead of the usual “EFCC said” stuff. The report by Femi Asu read as follows. “Nigeria’s March crude programme is struggling to find outlets, with some 25 million barrels still unsold even as the  April programme is expected to start arriving this week.” 

 

For those who might not fully grasp the meaning of that report, it needs to be explained fully because it illustrates the catastrophe confronting us as a nation. Twenty five million barrels unsold, given a budget calling for export of 2.2 million barrels a day means that the country might not dispose of eleven days production. 

 

So on volume alone the deficit is 35 per cent. Simultaneously, the budget was benchmarked on $38 per barrel. Instead the March deliveries are going for $32 per barrel or 16 per cent less. Altogether, Nigeria will suffer revenue deficit on account of crude oil of close 22 per cent, after all deductions have been made. That would have been bad news enough. But, January and February sales were also below budget levels. 

 

So, by the end of the first quarter, the nation would have suffered a deficit of close to 25 per cent for the period under review. Meanwhile, the non-oil revenue sources have not started to deliver the surplus that would cushion the impact of the fall in crud oil income. Adding to the nation’s economic woes is the rapidly dwindling external reserves which had been reduced by close to 23% in the last one year and are unlikely to rise in 2016. 

 

Every economic index known to man calls for an urgent decision to be made by the Federal Government before all control is lost. A conference held last week had the Governor of Edo State stating his opposition to devaluation. He was ably supported by the Labour representatives present. 

 

However, they failed to tell Nigerians what government is supposed to do when imports exceed the foreign exchange earnings of the country and what is to be done when the external reserves run out or get so low as not to be able to support our level of imports or external payments. Often forgotten is the fact that some states of Nigeria, the Federal Government, banks and private companies have incurred loans denominated in dollars and which they must find dollars to repay. 

 

The dollars are not forthcoming in the quantum required to meet our obligations. President Buhari had been focusing on the battle against corruption and on external affairs. There is no discernible individual in government who is responsible for the economy. The Vice President who had made some comments on economic policy had ended up confusing the nation. 

 

He was the one who first announced that N8 trillion would be spent in 2016; that the 2016 Budget now languishing in the National Assembly, will be based on Zero Sum method and that the nation targets $25 billion loan to help fund the budget. The first two had turned out to be mere play on words the third will depend on whether or not foreigners and even Nigerian investors have confidence in our ability to manage our economy. 

 

The acid test of whether a nation can manage its economy is the health of its currency. Right now, even the best propagandist the Federal Government can appoint cannot convince Nigerians and the global community that all is well. A free-falling currency is a sign of deep trouble and nothing keeps investors away better than that. 

 

Even now, the free-fall of the naira is partly caused by capital flight. Those who had adopted a wait and see attitude, wanting to see how this government will manage the economy, are no longer waiting because they have seen enough. Dr Arthur Burns, the Chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank in the USA, equivalent to our Governor of the Central Bank, once said that if a nation allowed an untenable economic situation to persist for too long, suddenly, there are no good options left. 

 

Nigeria is slowly but surely approaching a situation where there are no good options left. Even now, the options have been reduced to few. But, another delay will spell doom. The Federal Government must act now – or hand Nigerians to unpredictable fate.