By Isaac Olamikan
High Chief Government Oweizide Ekpemupolo(aka Tompolo) as at his last birthday clocked 55 years. The wisdom packed in those 55 years cannot be traded in the market place.
In the days when militancy was riding high in the creeks and streets of the Niger Delta region Tompolo was a leader in the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) which was fighting for the cause of a better Niger Delta where government presence will lift the living conditions of the people from whose soil and rivers the golden product(oil) which Nigerians all depend on as source of revenue is explored.
You can never be told of any time in the course of this resource control war when Tompolo acted abnormally by way of giving people drastic inhuman treatment just because they are under his captivity or they are his subordinate.
A priest of his traditional worship centre, Tompolo is a man who is blessed with the God endowed ability to lead others. For those who know him they will give you hordes of reports of instances where he has used his leadership qualities to preach peace and to give judgement when there seem to be chaos on the horizon.
It is a well know fact that the former Deputy Governor of Delta State, Barrister Kingsley Otuaro, was a nominee of Tompolo for the position. There are other personalities who have Tompolo to thank for his mentorship in their rise in the political ladder. Such set of his mentees will always have good things to say about him.
A philantropist of high repute, Tompolo is reputed to have many people under his wings whom he provides for within the limit of the resources available to him.
His lifestyle is a reflection of a man with a focus whose thoughts is always about how his people would live a life of comfort that will reflect the beneficial effect of the God given resources within their environment.
Tompolo is known to oppose criminalities as it is being practiced by some rascals to the extent that he confronts them openly telling them that agitation for the goodies of life for the downtrodden Niger Delta people is miles away from criminalities.
In recent time his pipeline surveillance contract deal given to his security outfit, Tantita Security Services Ltd, by the federal government, has brought up a horde of bad bellicks who are arguing that he doesn’t deserve it.
Since his company started tackling the issue of pipeline vandalism, oil theft, illegal bunkering and the likes what has been accruing to the Federal Government of Nigeria has been in the region of millions of US dollars a big leap from the dark days of illegality, criminality.
Instead of showing appreciation to him some low life individuals have chosen to take the path of ungrateful people by exhibit their evil machination of ingratitude.
Why Tompolo is their target of blackmail is not understandable considering that he is not the only person who have been issued the pipeline surveillance contract. That nobody is saying anything about the activities of other high networth individuals who are also operating similar contract speaks volume about how far mischief makers can go to soil the image of their competitors.
The evil machination against Tompolo and his business outfit, Tantita Security Services, by his detractors and their acolytes, can only be viewed as a ploy in the manner of pull him down syndrome and it will continue to fail.
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