•Group urges those spreading false stories against Tantita Boss to desist

The Ijaw Youths Network has cautioned those spreading a wild rumour and outright fabrication against the Chairman of Tantita Security Services Limited, High Chief Government Ekpemupolo alias Tompolo.

The IYN in a statement signed by its Coordinator, Frank Ebikabo and Secretary, Federal Ebiaridor, on Friday urged those who have repeatedly associated High Chief Tompolo with a non-existent stroke to desist immediately.

The youth body called on Nigerians to ignore the antics of a group of disgruntled individuals who have consistently displayed alarming pettiness over the issue of renewal of Tantita’s pipeline contract with the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited.

The IYN noted that the public appearances of High Chief Tompolo during a festival at Ogulagha and others should properly inform the mischief makers that the Tantita Boss “is hale and hearty and as fit as fiddle.”

Ebikabo and Ebiaridor urged those behind the mischief to desist saying Tompolo is too focused on the fight against oil theft to be distracted by cheap mischief by associates of oil thieves.

They also stressed that the claim that the Tantita Chairman and the reverred Itsekiri Monarch, the Olu of Warri are at each other’s throat is absurd and wicked.

The IYN noted that the tendency to play important personalities and institutions in the region against each other for perceived economic gains will fail and should be discouraged at all times.

The statement reads: “The Ijaw Youths Network has expressed dismay over the brazen campaign of calumny and outright falsehood being peddled against the Chairman of Tantita Security Services Limited.

“Those behind the falsehood have made publications that have repeatedly associated High Chief Tompolo with a non-existent stroke attack which will never be.

“We in the IYN had thought that those who desired and made moves for the pipeline surveillance contract would have moved on in the interest of the region and the nation after the Federal Government and the NNPCL renewed the Tantita contract.

“The recent publications which display unacceptable pettiness are most uncharitable and should be ignored by the discerning public.

“We have seen a number of these publications in some online platforms and would have ignored them if not for the need to halt further misinformation caused by these wicked lies against High Chief Tompolo.

“First, we need to tell all men of good conscience and Nigerians who have always supported the Tantita boss that Chief Tompolo is hale and hearty and as fit as fiddle.

“The story of his purported ailment is a product of delirious minds that are jolted by the serious progress Tantita has made in the campaign against oil theft in Nigeria.

“For the records, the Tantita boss and his teams are too focused in the campaign against oil thieves and their sponsors to be distracted by fabrications from frustrated individuals who don’t mean well for the society.

“Recent arrests of rogue vessels such as MT Kali, illegally siphoning crude oil from Pennington Oil field of the Anglo-Dutch energy giant, Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) in Bayelsa State and many before them would suffice.

“Lastly, we wish to stress the point that there is no conflict between the revered Itsekiri Monarch, the Olu of Warri, and Tompolo.

“The cheap mischief to set important personalities and institutions from the region against each other will continue to fail.”

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