Former MEND leader, Government Tompolo has said he won’t show up at the EFCC until he’s certain he’ll get justice. He said this recently through his aide Paul Bebenibo, who spoke with The Cable via telephone.
Tompolo had earlier said he felt he was being set up by forces in the APC, and averred to the President’s refusal to obey court orders as fodder for why he has not yet honoured the EFCC’s invitation.
Tompolo is suspected to be involved in a contract fraud at the Nigerian Maritime Safety Agency (NIMASA) and he’s reportedly been summoned by the EFCC. But Bebenibo said Tompolo is challenging the issue in court.
According to The Cable, Bebenibo said on the phone, “There have been so many court pronouncements which the government and its agencies have refused to obey. The federal government should also respect the rule of law.
“Imagine the president saying that some persons should be kept in
custody when the court asked that they should be freed. It doesn’t
work. Tompolo will certainly appear because there is no misdeed
on his part as far as the transactions with the federal government
and NIMASA are concerned. As I speak to you now, his lawyers
are working to sort that out.”
“There is no misdeed on the part of Tompolo as far as this issue
that he is having with the EFCC is concerned. He was actually the
backbone of NIMASA in recovering the levies, taxes and so on,
since he has interest in Global West Vessel Company, which does
the job for NIMASA.
“So, if there is any financial issue that has got to do with NIMASA,
Global West and Tompolo, he is very innocent. His records in
ensuring that the public-private partnership which Global West had with NIMASA worked out for good are out known.”
Last year a former NIMASA chairman claimed the agency used to pay Tompolo N1.5 billion monthly for pipeline security. Claims like this come up often, and are usually unproven.
Bebenibo said, “Tompolo would not condescend so low to attack oil installations because he is being invited by the EFCC. It is a non-issue. Afterall, he is in court with the EFCC. He went to court two months after the EFCC froze his account without any court mandate. He challenged them in court and the EFCC invited him after that, so Tompolo is not afraid of appearing before EFCC. He will certainly appear but he should be given more time.”