Tompolo’s N13bn land probe to humiliate Jonathan – Group

A social political group under the guise of the Alliance for the Preservation of Nigerian Democracy has described as “diversionary” the ongoing investigation by the Economic an Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) into the alleged N13billion land deal by the Foremost Ex-militant leader, High Chief Government Ekpemupolo popularly known as Tompolo, saying it is a political act targeted at humiliating Former President, Goodluck Jonathan.

According to the group, though the EFCC has the constitutional right to investigate allege corruption acts based on facts and evidence at its disposal, the ongoing investigation into the role of Tompolo in an approved land deal with the Federal Government is political and a clear bait to indict the Former President,Dr. Goodluck Jonathan.

The group, in a report titled “The Harassment of Tompolo: Is Jonathan next on APC’s list” and made available to newsmen yesterday via email,alleged that the move to declare wanted High Chief Government Ekpemupolo is a cler attempt to arrest and jail Former President Goodluck Jonathan.

The report,which was signed by the group’s convener, Bolarinwa Ajayi, and the Director of Research, Damilola Alade, stated that “Now that the Buhari administration has finally made the bold move of targeting High Chief Government Ekpemupolo, aka Tompolo, directly, we cannot help wondering if the stage is merely being prepared by the All Progressives Congress, APC, regime to pounce on the quintessential hero of Nigerian democracy, President Goodluck Jonathan himself.

“The rather very puzzling irony of the matter is that the transaction in question was a legitimate deal of conveyance of developed property between Tompolo and the Federal Government in which, for the purpose of the take-off of the National Maritime University, the Federal Government found it expedient to purchase an international diving and maritime school, Tompolo had already established and expended a colossal amount in developing to standard.

“Interestingly, the school is not even in Okorekonko community as the APC and the EFCC would have us believe and its purchase is a different kettle of fish altogether from the purchase of Okerekonko community land as main site of the university, which in its own regard is also a perfectly legitimate transaction as well. The property the Federal Government purchased from Tompolo is at Kurutie, a neighboring community in which Tompolo had set up the institution long before the idea of establishing a maritime university in the area ever arose.

“And in every legally binding sense, it was an absolutely above board transaction of a seller and a buyer agreeing on a price. Indeed, whereas Tompolo,as any investor would have done, had assessed his selling price at his preferred sum, being 15 billion naira, the Federal Government through the Bureau of Public Enterprises, BPE, and subsequently, the Federal Executive Council, FEC, had assessed its buying price at its preferred sum, being less than the aforesaid amount.

“At the end of the day, Tompolo merely got a legitimate amount for his personal property within the context of commercial transactions and bargaining power. Already, the Okerekonko community has disowned the likes of Michael Johnny who they revealed got his fair share of the money and thus put a lie to the opportunistic machinations of the likes of David Iwere and Ayiri Emami who are presently playing a most alarming role as ethnic champions in a matter that does not in any way concern them even in the very least.

“With the unfolding triumphalist and predatory hounding, vilification, denigration, incrimination and witch hunt of President Jonathan’s men and women, the Buhari led APC government has simply picked up with the Jonathan administration, where it left off, many years ago, with the Shagari administration. At the time of Buhari’s first emergence as a military ruler, he had displayed little understanding or familiarity with the complex nuances, permutations, intricacies and challenges of modern governance.

“By attacking President Jonathan’s number one loyalist and ardent supporter, Tompolo, the Buhari led APC administration has revealed its hand as a platform committed to completely humiliating President Jonathan, his supporters, loyalists and admirers as a warning to all who may rise in future to challenge the one party rule it is clearly the party’s intention to force down our throats.

“The insolent and unconscionable ingratitude being displayed by the APC, leaves much too much to be desired. Already some senseless people – now regretfully wallowing in hunger, darkness, fuel scarcity and the ominous prospects of a bleak yuletide – have said that never should a Niger Deltan be allowed to rule Nigeria again. Such reprobates are of course a pack of parasitic fools and pathetic retards whose stock in trade can only be compartmentalized within the execrable category of worthless ingrates biting the finger that fed them.

“Anyone who triumphalistically counts out Niger Deltans or other minorities is playing with fire and that fire will only end up consuming him. Without a doubt, all those who write off the Niger Deltan people, are themselves doomed to only end up being put to utter shame and enduring disgrace. Niger Deltans are in many – and indeed the most important – ways the salt of Nigeria and their fellow Nigerian compatriots should respect them whether they like it or not or they will most likely end up regretting their abominable ingratitude.

“Much as we must lament all instances of corruption, no one should forget the fact that long before Jonathan, there was corruption and even now, under Buhari’s watch – if indeed not right under his very nose – corruption continues to thrive. Even the Permanent Secretaries he seemed to prefer to “noisemaking” Ministers are now being investigated for mindboggling cases of corruption. At any rate, the clandestine regime of Ibrahim Babangida, the animalistic government of the late Sanni Abacha, as well as, the riotous rule of Olusegun Obasanjo were as corrupt, if not even more corrupt, as anything we have seen from the Jonathan era.

“Interestingly one of the first truly flabbergasting incidences of corruption ever recorded in Nigeria occurred under President Buhari while he was Minister of Petroleum under the military regime of Obasanjo. Crucially, President Jonathan, for all his flaws and shortcomings remains arguably the greatest leader Nigeria has ever had, much as we had hoped that President Buhari will surpass his laudable achievements even though such hopes are increasingly beginning to seem highly misplaced.”