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By Amos Odhe, Yenagoa
The umbrella body of Ijaw youths worldwide, the Ijaw Youths Council (IYC), has slammed the “faceless groups involved in the campaign of calumny against the executive vice president of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Tombomieye Adokiye,” adding that the call for a probe by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) is “distasteful and an affront on the Nigerian people whom have suffered a lot from economic sabotage and crude oil theft.”
According to the IYC, “though the EFCC has the power to probe when provided with the strong evidence against individuals, the faceless groups under the fictitious alias ‘Niger Delta Youths and Stakeholders Congress’ is not known to the youths of the region and should not be allowed to succeed in its pull-him-down syndrome against a true son of the region such as the executive vice president of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Tombomieye Adokiye.”
The Ijaw Youths Council, through its national spokesman, Comrade Ebilade Ekerefe, called on the EFCC to investigate individuals or personalities involved in this outburst for “signs of malice and traits of sponsored blackmail” against the office and person of NNPCL’s executive vice president, Adokiye.
Ekerefe also warned those behind the alleged campaign of calumny against Tombomieye Adokiye to desist from it, adding that “millions of youths from the six states of the Niger Delta region are ready to resist any attempts to bring him down and will stop at nothing to thwart the threats of mega protest being brandished in order to force the EFCC to probe where there is no evidence of misdeed.”
He said, “For us, blackmailing Mr Adokiye to gain attention is a wrong step for seeking relevance. Because, we don’t have many Ijaw leaders at the top of federal agencies. Therefore, we would not hesitate to take necessary steps as well as we have vowed to stand by those at the top and not to allow a few sponsored individuals to pull them down.”
On the claims of the alleged involvement of Adokiye in sabotage of the nation’s economy and complicity in crude oil theft, the IYC described the allegation as “laughable”, insisting that the “purported petitions against him are sponsored by some group of persons who are out to dent his image and malign him with unfounded and mischievous allegations in other to drag his name to mud.
“As a social right advocacy organisation, we condemn such petitions in totality and we call on all well-meaning sons and daughters of the Niger Delta region, precisely the Ijaw Nation, to support and rally round Mr Adokiye Tombomieye for the good works he has done so far at the NNPC management to better the lives of most of our teaming Ijaw sons and daughters from the region.
“Adokiye Tombomieye has worked hard tirelessly to bring about the transformational policies and programs that promote transparency, accountability and sustainable development.
“While, this model of leadership and mechanism has driven the NNPC management to a speedy growth that has added massive economic value to the GDP of our country. And also increase the revenue generation capabilities, it is also on record that under Mr Adokiye Tombomieye Upstream operations management, the nation’s crude oil production has significantly increased to 2.5 million barrels daily.
“In a recent landmark achievements recorded against crude oil theft in the region, involved the awarding of critical oil and gas assets protection contract to Tantita Security Limited, headed by the foremost former militant leader, High Chief Government Ekpemukpolo. It’s an obvious fact that the CEO Mr Mele Kyhari and Mr Adokiye Tombomieye’s innovative leadership style and work ethics reshaped and set the ground rolling for the anti-crude oil theft campaign initiated by NNPC and the Federal Government of Nigeria.
“And due to Adokiye transformational policy frameworks and his tireless sacrifice for working round the clock to reposition the nation’s oil industry, it has given room for international and local oil and gas industry players to build more confidence in the Nigeria’s oil business sector.
“In addition, has boosted the production capability in our nation’s petroleum industry as the executive vice president upstream several divisions of the Upstream operations within and outside the NNPC has experienced significant growth and expansion,” the IYC spokesman said.
