A United States’ Wall Street Journal had on Wednesday, disclosed that the federal government paid a whopping $40 million in the past 12 months to keep the Niger Delta warlords; Dokubo Asari, ‘General’ Ateke Tom, ‘General‘ Ebikabowei Boyloaf Victor Ben, and ‘General’ Government Tompolo Ekpumopolo to guard the country’s oil pipelines.
The breakdown showed that Government Ekpumopolo got the lion share of $22.5 million yearly, while former warlord, Dokubo Asari, collects $9million every year to keep his estimated 4000 soldiers at bay. Ateke Tom and Ebikabowei Boyloaf Victor Ben collect $3.5million apiece.
Tompolo who spoke to LEADERSHIP WEEKEND yesterday through his media aide, Comrade Paul Bebenimibo stated thus; “Whoever is making the claims should come out with a proper breakdown and evidence of such payments that were not proper and not backed up.”
The Wall Street Journal in its report tagged, ‘Nigeria’s Former Oil Bandits Now Collect Government Cash’, said that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) pays the warlords a princely sum of $39.5 million annually.
The payment includes the contract awarded to former warlord Tompolo to protect oil pipelines by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA).
Asari Dokubo had also confirmed receiving the sum of $9 million a year to pay his estimated 4,000 ‘foot soldiers’ to guard oil pipelines was quoted by the the Journal as saying, ‘I don’t see anything wrong with it’. Two other former warlords, ‘Gen.’ Ebikabowei ‘Boyloaf’ Victor Ben and ‘Gen’ Ateke Tom get $3.8 million each under the arrangement.
Meanwhile, the development has drawn the ire of the Northern socio-cultural organization, Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) as they maintained that Nigerians reserved the right to know how they are governed and how their resources are allocated.
ACF spokesman, Anthony Sani told LEADERSHIP WEEKEND that the federal government was bound by the constitution of the country to ensure that no individual or section of the country dominate access to national resources.
Sani told our correspondent in Kaduna that in a democracy, people through their representatives are expected to cry foul when they notice any constitutional infractions on the part of the executive
Tompolo who spoke to LEADERSHIP WEEKEND yesterday through his media aide, Comrade Paul Bebenimibo stated thus; “Whoever is making the claims should come out with a proper breakdown and evidence of such payments that were not proper and not backed up.”
The Wall Street Journal in its report tagged, ‘Nigeria’s Former Oil Bandits Now Collect Government Cash’, said that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) pays the warlords a princely sum of $39.5 million annually.
The payment includes the contract awarded to former warlord Tompolo to protect oil pipelines by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA).
Asari Dokubo had also confirmed receiving the sum of $9 million a year to pay his estimated 4,000 ‘foot soldiers’ to guard oil pipelines was quoted by the the Journal as saying, ‘I don’t see anything wrong with it’. Two other former warlords, ‘Gen.’ Ebikabowei ‘Boyloaf’ Victor Ben and ‘Gen’ Ateke Tom get $3.8 million each under the arrangement.
Meanwhile, the development has drawn the ire of the Northern socio-cultural organization, Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) as they maintained that Nigerians reserved the right to know how they are governed and how their resources are allocated.
ACF spokesman, Anthony Sani told LEADERSHIP WEEKEND that the federal government was bound by the constitution of the country to ensure that no individual or section of the country dominate access to national resources.
Sani told our correspondent in Kaduna that in a democracy, people through their representatives are expected to cry foul when they notice any constitutional infractions on the part of the executive