...You Turn Around to Sing his Praises Like a Slave Singing for his Master 

It is a pity to see some Niger Deltans singing the praises of Tompolo, when, according to Chief Pius Wariyai, his activities have caused more damage to Bayelsa and Bayelsans. 

Wariyai alleged that Tompolo’s mission is to have total control of the Bayelsa State treasury and turn the state into his personal business under the slogan of “we are one Ijaw people.”

Chief Pius Wariyai said the Governor of Bayelsa State, Douyi Diri, is making a very big mistake and expressed hope that the governor would not regret his actions. 

He questioned how the Governor-General of the Ijaw nation could be “romancing” a man who, according to him, fought the governor and worked hard to make his second-term bid impossible.

Wariyai also said that many people who stood with Governor Diri against Tompolo are now suffering the consequences, while the governor, in his view, has failed to empower or stand by them.

He described it as a shame that the Bayelsa State governor would welcome a man whom he alleged had kidnapped Bayelsans for more than two years, while the governor has not publicly demanded answers about the whereabouts of the missing citizens. 

He also questioned the role of the governor’s advisers, saying they appeared not to be advising their principal to take the right action on the issues on the ground.

According to Chief Pius Wariyai, the Governor of Bayelsa State should understand that there is a serious problem within the Ijaw nation. He described the Ijaw National Congress (INC) Unity Day celebrations as fake, alleging that the real issues affecting the people are being ignored.

He said until these issues are addressed, the Ijaw people will continue to struggle to move forward. Wariyai called on Governor Diri to demand that Tompolo account for those he alleged were kidnapped from the state. Otherwise, he said, Bayelsans may begin to believe that the disappearance of their people is part of a plot involving the government and Tompolo to kill their people.

Wariyai further alleged that Tompolo is currently working against him because of his support for Governor Diri during the last Bayelsa  State election and has prevented him from receiving payment for a pipeline surveillance security job he carried out in Bayelsa State. He claimed that Tompolo owes him more than ₦2.6 billion for the work.

He said this is one of the reasons he is calling on the Federal Government to decentralize the pipeline surveillance contracts and allow stakeholders from individual states to manage their respective territories.

Chief Pius Wariyai urged Bayelsans to understand that, in his view, Tompolo is not helping anyone in Bayelsa State. He said whatever “peanuts” Tompolo gives to some people for supporting him should not be mistaken for Tompolo’s personal money, arguing that the money belongs to Bayelsa.

“Tompolo takes what belongs to you and gives you crumbs, and you turn around to sing his praises like a slave singing for his master,” Wariyai said.

Wariyai recalled that when the struggle for the Niger Delta was at its most difficult stage, General Boyloaf and other Bayelsans were at the forefront of the fight for the region. 

He argued that now that the benefits of the struggle, including respect and opportunities, are coming, Tompolo and his family have allegedly cornered them for themselves.

Wariyai contrasted Tompolo’s alleged approach with what he described as the true Ijaw character demonstrated by Bayelsa-born General Boyloaf. 

He said that when Boyloaf had the opportunity to negotiate for peace and the biggest youth empowerment programme emerged, he did not sideline anyone or prevent people from participating.

According to him, Boyloaf did not turn the opportunity into a family business, which Wariyai described as the behaviour of a true Ijaw man.

Wariyai also called on the Presidency to understand that giving what belongs to Bayelsans to Tompolo to manage is wrong and amounts to a slap in the face of leaders who sacrificed their lives during the Niger Delta struggle.

He said the region has experienced leaders, including General Boyloaf, whom he described as possessing the security knowledge and experience needed to manage the process.

Chief Pius Wariyai therefore renewed his call on the Presidency to decentralize the pipeline surveillance contract across the Niger Delta, arguing that doing so would be in the interest of peace, fairness and national security.