Ex-militant leader, Chief Government Ekpemupolo (alias Tompolo) has endorsed the outcome of a consultative meeting between traditional rulers from the Niger Delta, Delta State Government, the Ijaw National Congress (INC) and the Minister of the Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Akpabio.
The meeting, which held at the traditional headquarters of the Gbaramatu Kingdom, Oporoza town, last Thursday, also had in attendance leaders from Itsekiri, Urhobo, Isoko, Ndokwa and other nationalities.
Tompolo, last Sunday, issued a seven-day ultimatum to President Muhammadu Buhari and Minister of Niger Delta affairs, Godswill Akpabio, to reconstitute the NDDC board or face a major breakdown of law and order in the Niger Delta.
The Tompolo ultimatum expires on Monday, but Akpabio, who braved the odds to visit Oporoza in Warri South-West local government area, where he met separately with Tompolo and the ethnic nationalities, said they should give him June and July for the inauguration of the NDDC board.
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Akpabio, who spoke after the meeting, promised that the process of constituting a substantive NDDC board would be fast-tracked.
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He said: “We had a robust discussion and consultation. The meetings have been fruitful. The consensus of stakeholders is that there is a need for more representation in the NDDC and so, a board needs to be constituted…
“We have also looked at what is affecting the region. The youths applauded, but they want to see more progress, more employment opportunities.”
Asked about the fears surrounding the ultimatum, he said: “It is not a function of the ultimatum; it is a function of the fact that it was a call for the government to react to the people’s aspirations.
“The issue of ultimatum is not something I can speak on because there is a process and it has to start with the minister.
The major thing is that we have committed to working together to ensure we give what the people want.”
But Tompolo in a statement, Saturday morning, said he didn’t want anything to disrupt the relative peace citizens are enjoying in the region. He noted that government shenanigans must be put away, as constituting the NDDC board is very dear to the people of the region.
He said the ultimate goal of the ultimatum was for the Minister to abide by the promise he made to start the process of constituting the NDDC board.
He thanked all traditional rulers for the fatherly role they played in the matter, Chief E.K. Clark, as well as Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa, his deputy and other notable figures in the region for their contribution.
