The Coalition of Niger Delta Ex-Agitators Leaders Forum (CND-EALF), has denounced recent false claims against High Chief Government Ekpemupolo (Tompolo) and Dr. Dennis Otuaro, the Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP).
The group described the allegations circulated in a viral video as a smear campaign by corrupt individuals seeking to undermine their efforts in fighting oil theft, promoting job creation, and ensuring peace in the region.
In a statement yesterday signed by the chairman, Ibena Rufus Salvation and secretary, Elaye Slaboh, Salvation said that those behind these accusations are the same people who have profited from fraudulent contracts and corruption within the Amnesty Programme for years.
He commended Dr. Otuaro for cleaning up the PAP and ensuring that funds meant for ex-agitators are used for real empowerment, rather than being siphoned by corrupt individuals.
He also praised Tompolo’s security outfit, Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited (TSSNL), for its achievements in tackling oil theft since August 2022, significantly reducing crude oil losses and improving Nigeria’s economy.
According to him, Tantita has so far detected and stopped nearly 4,000 oil theft incidents, exposed over 700 illegal pipeline connections, identified close to 1,000 cases of stolen crude oil, shut down nearly 1,800 illegal refineries and destroyed over 3,000 illegal oil-related sites.
Salvation further stated that Tantita’s work has created thousands of jobs for youths, reduced crime, and helped clean up the environment by shutting down illegal refining operations that pollute rivers and farmlands.
He called on security agencies to investigate those behind the false accusations, warning that misinformation could destabilize the Niger Delta. He reaffirmed their support for Tompolo, Otuaro, and all others working to secure the region’s oil resources and promote economic growth.
BY ABU NMODU, Minna
Inhabitants of Baro Port communities have expressed frustration as the port’s facilities, commissioned by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019, have begun to rot.
The construction of the Baro Inland Water Port in Niger State has left many residents struggling to survive after losing their farmlands and fishing grounds.
Once a thriving community dependent on agriculture and fishing, Baro is now filled with hunger and despair following the federal government’s decision to build the port, which remains non-functional.
LEADERSHIP’s findings revealed that since the multi-billion-naira port was commissioned during former President Muhammadu Buhari’s presidential campaign in Niger State, it has not operated for even local activities.
LEADERSHIP gathered that the construction of Baro Port was initially awarded for N3.9 billion but was completed at N12 billion.
At some stage, the cost of the project by a Chinese firm, CGCC Project Limited, was N5.8 billion.
The port has a quay length of 150 metres, a cargo stacking yard of 7,000 square metres, a transit shed of 3,600 square metres, and a capacity of 5,000 TEU (Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit) at a time. TEU is a unit of measurement describing a 20-foot container.
The port also has a water hydrant system, a water treatment plant, tree forklifts of various tonnages, and is powered by a 100 KVA generating set.
Similarly, the dredging of the six lots along the River Niger up to Baro cost N9 billion per lot, bringing the total amount for dredging to N54 billion. In total, the entire project consumed N66 billion.
It was learnt that the facilities, which comprise many landing facilities, warehouses, and administrative buildings, are already wasting away, dimming the hope of the port ever becoming operational.
LEADERSHIP reports that the vintage port was resuscitated to open up the North’s economy and reduce the pressure on the roads caused by articulated vehicles transporting goods from the South to the North.
The idea of the port was first conceptualised by the late President Umaru Yar’Adua, and it started with the dredging of the River Niger in 2008. The administration of President Buhari claimed it had completed and commissioned the port in 2019.
Residents of the communities who spoke to LEADERSHIP said that since the commissioning, the port has not been operational due to the lack of an access road and shallow water levels that make it impossible for ships to reach the port.
Baro community youth leader and former member of the Niger State House of Assembly, Hon Jibril Ndagi Akwanu, told LEADERSHIP that the project, which had brought hope to the community, had now become a source of frustration.
He said, “It is highly frustrating and disturbing that one of our senators from Niger recently said there were no budgetary provisions for Baro Port in this year’s budget.”
The youth leader, who said that the Baro Port was not just about the people of Baro alone but about the entire economy of the North and the country as a whole, decried that “the government has decided to neglect the port.”
He suggested that “the best way out is for the government to dredge the River Niger from the Delta to Baro and use at least flat-bottom ships to transport containers from the main ports to Baro Inland Port.”
Akwanu also suggested rehabilitating the road from Agaie-Katcha-Baro and the rail track from Baro to Gulu to Abuja and establishing a naval base to provide security cover.
According to him, every hope that Baro Port will ever become operational is gradually becoming a mirage.
“In fact, it is gradually getting listed among the many abandoned projects scattered across the country,” he lamented.
We’ve got the edge. Get real-time reports, breaking scoops, and exclusive angles delivered straight to your phone. Don’t settle for stale news. Join LEADERSHIP NEWS on WhatsApp for 24/7 updates →
Join Our WhatsApp Channel
