Amaechi: I saw Tompolo’s staff at NIMASA

Rotimi Amaechi, minister of transportation, has revealed that he saw the staff of Government Ekpemupolo (better known as Tompolo) during his maiden visit to the Lagos head office of the Nigerian Maritime Administration Safety and Agency (NIMASA).

Speaking when he appeared before the senate committee on marine transport, on Tuesday, Amaechi said he had not been briefed about the multi-billion naira contract awarded to Global West Vessel Specialist Agency Limited, a company linked to Tompolo.

“I got to NIMASA and I saw a building that was looking very ugly. And I said for Christ’s sake, who are the people staying in this dirty place? And they said staff of Global West Company and they are Tompolo’s staff.

“Nobody ever mentioned that contract to me. It was in the public that I knew that Tompolo had a contract. That’s why I said give me information about all the contracts that you have awarded in NIMASA so that I know and the stage of payment.”

Tompolo, a former commander of the Movement of the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), is believed to have wielded so much influence in the last administration.

He was said to have influenced the appointment of Patrick Akpobolokemi as director-general of NIMASA.

Akpobolokemi is currently in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over some alleged shady deals, also involving Tompolo.

The anti-graft agency has also invited the former MEND commander for questioning, threatening to declare him wanted if he does not honour its summon.

On his part, Tompolo described the EFCC invitation as an unnecessary attempt to heat the polity, accusing the federal government of witch-hunting him for refusing to join the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

“The threat to declare me wanted is an unnecessary attempt to heat up the polity,” he had said in a statement.

“The real reason this All Progressive Congress (APC)-led government is after me is that I bluntly refused to join APC and to support their governorship candidate in Bayelsa state.

“We cannot all be in APC. Our people have always believed in the Nigerian project and had always hoped to join hands with this administration to move this project forward, but the conditions being attached are not acceptable.”