Comrade Omolubi Newuwumi, a Niger Delta activist and President of the Iwere Development Association, IDA, is known for his outspokenness, saying it the ways it is no matter whose ox is gored. A Commissioner for Youth Development in Delta State, Comrade Omolubi recently stir the hornet nest when he accused his fellow tribesman, Hon. Micheal Diden, aka Ejele, of not paying those he purportedly engaged in the first phase of the multi-billion naira surveillance contract in Itsekiri communities. In this interview, he clears the air on some of the controversial issues, saying he was never against the re-awarding of the contract but against the injustice meted out to Itsekiri youths and its communities by Ejele. Excerpts:
Question–Sir recently, you raised some fundamental issues over the Pipeline surveillance contract as regard the way it was handled by one of the Itsekirii Trustee, Hon. Michael Diden, alias Ejele,now that the contract has been re-awarded to the same person, what is your say?
Answer–I am not against the re-awarding of the surveillance contract to the company per say, I am against one of the trustees representing the Itsekiri interest, Hon. Diden, whose huge appetite for money has denied the people the benefit inherent in the contract. While I want to commend the federal government for re-awarding the contract, I want to also want to urge them and other trustees of the company to compel Hon. Diden to pay the youths he allegedly recruited for the first phase their backlog of salaries and allowances he owed them and also make sure that justice, equity and fair play are respected in this new contact. In the first phase of the contact, the sum of 2million dollars were meant to train about 5, 000 youths locally and international and the contact agreement equally reveals the name of the outfit to train these youth. So Ejele should show us where those he trained during the first phase.
Question– Some are of the opinion that you saying this now because of your failed bid to get the ticket for the chairmanship of your Local Government where Ejele was a former Chairman, they regard it as a personal vendetta against who they regard as your former boss,what is your reaction to this sir?
Answer–for those that know my antecedents, even Ejele himself and many Itsekiri know me that I do not just say something because I am fighting a personal war. This thing is not about me, it is about us, it is about the youths of Itsekiri, it is about been fair, it’s about how one man can collect what was meant for the empowerment of the youth and the communities, sit on it alone and impoverish many people.
Question— Now that a new contract has been signed, what are you doing to make sure that these anomalies do not occur again especially as regards the recruitment and payment of the youths required to survey this pipelines against vandalisation?
Answer–We the (Itsekris)will not fold our hands again and allow this to happen. We will follow this particular contract and make sure that every beneficiaries get what was originally meant for them in the contract. We will follow and monitor with all the required laws in the land and make sure that people like Ejele will not enrich themselves with our collective wealth again. While I want to commend Government Ekpemepulo, alias Tompolo, for the maturity and sincerity in the handling of the contract as regard the Ijaws end of the deal, I want to also urge him to compel the other trustees to play by the rule and regulation guiding the contract especially as it regards the beneficiaries and the host communities. The contract like I say is welcome and I was never against the re-awarding of the contract in my first letter to the Presidency, but against the manner it was handle by our own representative. Ejele, who use it to enrich himself rather than the people and the communities. Federal Government and the trustees of the company should also follow up these contracts with incorruptible monitoring teams in making sure that equity, fairplay and accountability come to play. I am asking him to pay the backlog of salaries he owed because I am very aware that the other trustee from Itsekiri paid the over 700 people he recruited for the period of time the contract lasted. I am also aware that recruitment of people into the second phase of the contract has commence and we will mobilize to make sure that this time around those employed will get their wages and working equipments. We will not allow what happened in the first phase to repeat itself. We also look forward to seeing speed boats and vehicles to patrol some of these pipeline especially in the creeks as these where some of the things lacking in the first phase.
Question, why do you wait for so long before revealing all these weighty allegations?
Answer–I did not react at first because I have been engaging him on some of these issues, on the need to pay those he recruited just like others has done and I believe he will see reason until recently when it become clear that he was not ready to pay. I have evidence that he has not paid and I was worried. You are also aware that I have fought other battles for my people. I am a youth leader with conscience and a passion to see that things are done fairly, that the people are not short-changed, that equity and fair play should be the watchword in everything we do. Some of the youths are very bitter that their salaries are not paid and as an activist I have to fight for them. Like I said, it is not about me or about Ejele or about the governor but about justice and equity, about empowerment for the youth. If we do not correct this now it means we are setting a bad precedent and these are some of the things that led to crisis because a rich man who fails to empower the youth is like the man who go to the Bush and fetch home ant infested firewood. That rich man should not complain when lizards start visiting him at home.
Question– Some are also saying thatyou were given some huge amount of money by the governor to castigate Ejele because of his disagreement with the governor, how true is this?
Answer–these are frivolous allegation because one, the governor who is also an Itsekiri and Ejele do not have any quarrel or disagreement on any issues. They have been having a cordial relationship and that has not changed. So if anyone says that I am been paid to do this, it means that person is either playing to the gallery or does not know my antecedents. Check my antecedents, check how much I have fought for the Itskiri and the Niger Delta in general. Even the local content act which has been passed into law also empower companies to employ people from the local communities and that means also paying them. If you employ a number of youths and money was made available to pay them but you pocket such money, what kind of society do you think we are building? Is like we are sitting on a keg of gunpowder because if these restless and penniless youths become hungrier, you and I know what will happen.
