Wanted Tompolo marks 47th birthday

Family members and friends Thursday celebrated the forty seventh
birthday bash of ex-militant leader, High Chief Oweizide Government
Ekpemupolo alias Tompolo.

Tompolo's whereabouts has remained unknown since the Federal
Government declared him wanted.

Comrade Guwor Emomotimi, a nephew to Tompolo stated that they
celebrated him to make Nigerian Government know he is a man of justice
and peace.

Emomotimi added that they celebrated Tompolo because he had brought
development to Gbaramatu Kingdom and Nigeria in general, stressing
that,"He is our Icon. He represents the struggle of the Niger Delta."

"As a young man, when the Warri South-West headquarters was relocated,
he stood his ground and today, that Local Government headquarters has
been returned back to its original state.

"His contribution to the struggle to emancipate our people from the
oppressive leadership of Nigeria Government. That struggle resulted to
the very first Ijaw man, Goodluck Jonathan, a minority to be president
of Nigeria.

"That was his contribution. He attracted the Nigeria Maritime
University. His persistent struggle brought about Amnesty programme.
So many of our young ones who would not have gone to university are
now graduates. That's because Tompolo stood his ground to make what is
wrong, right.

"The man is always standing for what is right, which is justice for
his people. That's why he is being persecuted by the Nigerian
Government. By God's grace, he will be vindicated. We will celebrate
him every year.

"Our prayer is that God will continue to guide and protect him. By the
grace of God, we will celebrate him at 100. For us, he is a living
legend."

Prominent Gbaramatu leader, Chief Wellington Bobo and the Ijaw Women
Connect, IWC, called on the Ijaws to stand firm behind Ex.Militant
Oweizide Government Ekpemupolo Alias Tompolo in his travails with the
Federal Government.

Chief Bobo said,"I beg Ijaw nation to stand firm for this our great
son, High Chief Oweizide Government Ekpemupolo Alias Tompolo. He has
suffered. People are looking for him to kill but God never allowed
that because God has sent him to deliver the Ijaw nation."