PURPLE KROWN COLLEGE ENUGU WIN NNPC/SHELL CUP



PURPLE KROWN COLLEGE ENUGU WIN NNPC/SHELL CUP

The 15th edition of the NNPC/Shell Cup finished on a high as Purple Krown College, Enugu, defeated Government Secondary School (GSS), Wuse, Abuja, by 1-0 in an entertaining final played on Sunday, March 24, at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, Lagos. Uzordima Emmanuel, who was eventually named the Most Valuable Player of the championship, scored the only goal of the game in the 50^th minute with a cool dispatch from the penalty spot.

In the first half, both teams put on a fine display of skill and attacking intent, and had numerous scoring opportunities, but lacked the decisive final touch in the 18-yard box. Like the first, the second half was also full of high end drama and action, as the two teams made tactical changes to find the winning touch, until Emmanuel’s decisive goal in the 50^th minute. From then on, the Wuse lads raised the tempo of their game and searched desperately for an equaliser, but the Enugu team proved to be the better side for most part of the game. In the end, there was going to be one winner. Purple Krown College held on to win their first trophy in Nigeria’s biggest school football competition. For their victory, the team won N2.5 million cash prize for sports development in the school, while each of the players received N50, 000. As runners-up, GSS Wuse went home with N1.4 million, while the players got N45, 000 each.

On their way to the final, Purple Krown College thrashed Government College, Ibadan, 4-1 in the first semi-final. While Government Secondary School, Wuse, qualified via a 9-8 penalty shootout win against Government Arabic College, Kano, in the second semi-final. The game had finished 1-1 at full time. With this historic win, Purple Krown also earned a place at the invitational school football competition in the United States of America, courtesy of the Nigeria School Sports Federation, NSSF.

In an also exciting third place play-off, Government Arabic College, Gwale, Kano, finished third with a comprehensive 3-0 win over Government College, Ibadan, Oyo. The Gwale lads also carted home N500,000 for their school’s sports development and N40,000 for each of the players. While the fourth placed team received N400,000 for their school and N35,000 for each of the players. The winning team, runners-up, third place and fourth placed teams all received certificates of participation.

“People have come to appreciate the quality of the game, year in, year out, because the quality has been improving. It has made us more proud than we have ever felt before,” said Mutiu Sunmonu, Country Chair of Shell Companies in Nigeria and Managing Director, Shell Petroleum Development Company, SPDC, on why the NNPC/Shell Cup is regarded as the biggest Secondary School football competition in Nigeria today. “The interesting aspect of this for the players is that they do not have to drop out of school to pursue a career in football. We are organising this at secondary schools so that our students will understand that education is very important and that the development of sports will make them complete. That is what we want to imbibe in the leaders of tomorrow,” said Engineer Ben Akaakar, Technical Assistant to Group Managing Director GMD, NNPC, Engineer Andrew Yakubu.

Special awards were also presented to outstanding players during the championship. Osayeme Joshua (Purple Krown College, Enugu) bagged the highest goal scorer award with six goals and Arinze Okpanpa (Purple Crown College, Enugu) was named the best defender. While Faisal Ali (Government Arabic College, Kano) won the best goalkeeper award and Malomo Taofeek (Government College Ibadan) was adjudged the best midfielder.

“We want to see players from the NNPC/Shell Cup represent Nigeria in major championship and we also want to see them grow academically because it is not all about football. Education is very important and that is why our theme is; football and education should go hand-in-hand,” said Sola Akinwale of Worldwide Sports Limited, consultants to the NNPC/Shell Cup. “The future is bright for these boys because they have potentials. The development is positive but the end result is priority. After here, what’s next for the lads? The National School Sports coaches should harness their potentials to form the platform for the national Under 16 teams,” said Kudur Umar, public relations officer, NSSF. Umar also added that the NNPC/Shell Cup will continue to be the breeding ground for talented football stars in Nigeria. Over the years, the competition has produced notable names such as Chinedu Obasi, Ambrose Vanzekin, and many others who have represented Nigeria in international football competitions.

Summary:

NNPC/Shell Cup 2013

Final

Purple Krown College, Enugu 1-0 Government Secondary School, Wuse, Abuja

Third Place match

Government Arabic College, Gwale, Kano 3-0 Government College, Ibadan, Oyo  Picture above :

Ememeka Chukwuma of Purple Crown College Enugu left, trying to dribble Ayinla Shamudeen of Government Secondary School Wuse in Abuja at the finals of the 15^th edition of the NNPC/SHELL cup which took place at the Tesilim Bakogun Stadium recently.




Nigerian Sports Minister, Bolaji Abdullahi presenting the 15^th edition NNPC/SHELL Cup to Oji Maurice the Captain of the victorious Purple Crown College of Enugu team.  




Players of Purple Crown College of Enugu, celrbrating their victory



Nigeria’s lost of athletes blamed on poor training facilities

Pastor Enoch Adeboye:Party to Habib’s success story in England.

Abuja – Makanjuola Nureni, a FIFA Player’s Agent, on Thursday said that Nigeria was losing its athletes, especially footballers, to other countries due to poor training facilities.

Nureni made the observation in Abuja while speaking to newsmen at the unveiling of 13-year-old Makanjuola Habib, a National U-13 player with Chelsea FC of England Academy.

The FIFA Player’s agent said Habib, who is one of the two Nigerian wiz-kids in the academy, signed for the academy because of poor football development structures in the country.

He claimed that the country was losing its athletes because the government was paying more attention to politics rather than concentrating on harnessing the country’s abundant talents.

Nureni said that Pastor Enoch Adeboye was party to Habib’s success story in England.

“Habib performed at the Redeemed Christian Church of God Redemption Camp in 2010 and he won a scholarship to England from the General Overseer,’’ he said.

He noted that top European clubs like Barcelona, Lyon, Manchester City and Arsenal had made efforts to sign on Habib, but he (Habib) preferred Chelsea because of the facilities they have on ground.

Habib,who was grabbed by Chelsea in April, said the love he has for Michael Emenalo, Chelsea’s Technical Director, also influenced his decision to sign for the club’s academy.

He told NAN that the academy had created the platform for him “to excel and become a world class player in the near future’’.

“I am with the Cambry School in London and my club allows me the time to attend classes and my school gives me time to train with my club,’’ Habib explained.

Habib’s father, Makanjuola Adegboye was elated about his son’s success, saying that his son’s progression in life was a sign of good upbringing.

“I don’t have much to say. I will only be remembering him in my prayers and I thank our daddy who made his journey to London possible,’’ Adegboye said.

Habib nicknamed “football wizard’’, won the Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award at the 2009 U-13 International Football Tournament in the United Arab Emirate (UAE).

He is also the first Nigerian to participate in the World Final Juggling Tournament in South Africa in 2010. (NAN)

 

Okobe petrol fire disaster death toll rises to 124 – FRSC

The accident scene

Abuja – The death toll from Okobe petrol tanker disaster rose to 124 on Monday, up from 95, the Rivers Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Dr Kayode Olagunju, said.

Olagunju said that the number was arrived at, based on additional deaths from various hospitals.

“We are still battling with the actual injury figures as a lot of victims were transferred from one hospital to the other which could result in multiple counting.

“Some victims initially went home for traditional treatment while some headed for private clinics,’’ Olagunju said, adding that the commission would liaise with other agencies and the Rivers Government to collate a more realistic figure.

The Okobe tragedy occurred around 6.30 a.m on Thursday following the crash of a petrol-carrying tanker and three other vehicles on the Ahoda-Mbiama east-west road in Rivers.

People around thronged the scene scrambling for spilled petrol, resulting in the flame which consumed the dead and the injured, according to FRSC which added that 34 motor-cycles were also burnt during the incident.

The 87 bodies burnt beyond recognition were given mass burial at the scene of the disaster on the same day, while six identified bodies were released to family members. (NAN)

 

3m Dollar subsidy bribe scandal: Jagaba threatens to sue Lawan if…

Hon. Adams Jagaba

…Warns Farouk Lawan to stop mentioning his name

ABUJA – Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Drugs, Narcotics and Financial Crimes, Hon. Adams Jagaba, has threatened to drag the former Chairman of the House Adhoc Committee on Petroleum subsidy management, Hon.Farouk Lawan to court should he continue to mention his name in the $3 million bribery scandal.

Addressing newsmen at the Media Centre of the House yesterday, July 12, 2012 Jagaba alleged that Lawan had admitted that he decided to implicate him (Jagaba) in the scandal in order to strengthen his (Lawan’s) case in court.

Commenting on Lawan’s allegation that he gave him part of the money he allegedly extorted from oil magnate Femi Otedola, Jagaba vehemently denied the claim.

He said: “Hon. Farouk Lawan alleged that he wrote a letter to me attaching $500,000. That is callously untrue and in fact, calculated to smear my hard-earned reputation; a reputation I painstakingly built since 1999. I never received any letter, or money, or any other exhibit from Farouk Lawan.”

He continued: “I saw for the first time the purported letter on a page of the Leadership Newspaper, of 14th June, 2012; and the closest copy which I saw and touched, was the copy he presented to the Police Special Task Force”.

Explaining further on what transpired between him and Lawan at the Police headquarters, yesterday, he said: ”Farouk, in his opening remarks, stated that he reported the matter to me because of my position as the Chairman, House Committee on Drugs, Narcotics and Financial Crimes and not because I was involved in the bribery saga. He also told the Police that he involved me in the matter because he thinks that, that would enhance his case in Court. We faced each other before the Police STF. I then put the question: “Hon. Farouk, did you give me $500,000 or any money for that matter?” This was a question the out-spoken Farouk could not answer. He kept mum till I left.”

Responding to the letter Lawan claimed to have written to him, he raised several posers.
He siad: “The following were the features of the purported letter: – The copy published by the leadership Newspaper of 14th June, 2012 on page 6, had the following curious features; It was dated 24/4/2012 and had a time of 03:47am on it.”

He queried: “Is it the normal practice to indicate time on an official letter? Is it humanly possible to write a two-paged letter within or in less than one-second?”

He also observed that on the second paragraph of the purported letter, Farouk Lawan stated that “attached is the sum of Five Hundred Thousand Dollars only…”

He asked: “Is it practically possible to attach money of that quantity to a sheet of paper?”
He also observed that the purported letter was written on a clean sheet of paper.

His poser: “An official letter written  about an issue of this magnitude should have, in my opinion, appeared on the official Letter Headed Paper of the Adhoc Committee on  Petroleum Subsidy Investigation or at least, Hon. Farouk Lawan’s Letter Headed Paper”.

In his concluding remarks about what probably happened to Lawan on the day he wrote the letter he said: “The embattled Hon. Farouk Lawan was rather rattled by the revelation of the bribery scandal, hence, in his confused and highly tensed state, picked up his pen and paper at an un-godly hour of 03:47am, wrote a letter (or so he claimed), as an after-thought, to the effect that he forgot to deliver the letter to the intended recipient, but rather chose to give it to a newspaper reporter and the Police Special Task Force (STF).”

He recalled that Hon. Farouk Lawan initially denied ever demanding and collecting any bribe but later owned up that he actually took the bribe money as an “exhibit.

“Until and unless Hon. Farouk Lawan produces an authentic acknowledged copy of his letter, he should stop dragging my name in the mud.  It will be recalled that I displayed the sum of N4,500,000 bribe money on the floor of the House in 2001 when I was the Committee Chairman on Anti-Corruption. I did that as an act of patriotism, an act that truly laid the foundation for the War Against Corruption in Nigeria. I cannot and shall never be involved in an individualistic act that runs antithetical to national interest.”

He warned  Lawan “to stop this blackmail forthwith or else, I will have no option than take the appropriate legal action against him and to seek compensation befitting my status. Enough is enough!”

 

Dana Air Crash: preliminary report from Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB)

The Dana Air accident scene on June 3, 2012

The Accident Investigation Bureau has submitted a  detailed preliminary report on the ill fated Dana Air  crash of MD83 (5N-RAM) which happened on a black Sunday in Lagos on June 3, 2012. The report determines the main facts about flight 992.

On June 3, 2012 about 15:45 hours[1], 5N-RAM, a Boeing MD-83, a domestic scheduled commercial flight, operated by Dana Airlines Limited as flight 992 (DAN 992), crashed into a densely populated area in Iju- Ishaga during a forced landing following a total loss of power in both engines while on approach to Muhammed Murtala Airport (LOS), Lagos, Nigeria. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and the airplane was on an instrument flight plan. All of the 153 persons aboard the airplane, including the 6 crew members were fatally injured. There were 10 confirmed ground fatalities. The airplane was destroyed.  There was post impact fire. The flight originated at Abuja (ABV) and the destination was LOS.

The airplane was on the fourth flight segment of the day, consisting of two round-trips between Lagos and Abuja.  The accident occurred during the return leg of the second trip.  DAN 992 was on final approach for runway 18R at LOS when the crew reported the total loss of power.

According to interviews, the flight arrived in ABV as Dana Air flight 993 about 1350.  According to Dana Air ground personnel, routine turn-around activities occurred, including refueling of the airplane.   DAN 992 initiated engine startup at 1436, taxied to the runway and was later airborne at 1458 after the flight had reported that it had a fuel endurance of 3.5 hours.  Shortly after takeoff, DAN 992 reported 1545 as the estimated time of arrival at LOS as the flight climbed to a cruise altitude of 26,000 ft[2]. DAN0992 made contact with Lagos Area Control Center at 1518 hours.

The cockpit voice recorder (CVR) retained about 31 minutes of the flight and starts about 1515 at which time the captain and first officer were in a discussion of a non-normal condition regarding the correlation between the engine throttle setting and an engine power indication[3].  However, they did not voice concerns then that the condition would affect the continuation of the flight.  The flight crew continued to monitor the condition and became increasingly concerned as the flight transition through the initial descent from cruise altitude at 1522 and the subsequent approach phase.

DAN 992 reported passing through 18,100 and 7,700 ft, respectively, at 1530 and 1540 hours. After receiving a series of heading and altitude assignments from the controller, DAN 992 was issued the final heading to intercept the final approach course for runway 18R.

During the period of 1537 and 15:41 the flight crew engaged in pre-landing tasks including deployment of the slats, and extension of the flaps and landing gear.  At 15:41:16 the first officer (FO) inquired, "both engines coming up?" and the captain (Capt) replied “negative.” The flight crew subsequently discussed and agreed to declare an emergency.  At 1542:10, DANA 992 radioed an emergency distress call indicating "dual engine failure . . . negative response from throttle."

At 1542:35, the flight crew lowered the flaps further and continued with the approach and discussed landing alternatively on runway 18L.  At 15:42:45, the Capt reported the runway in sight and instructed the FO to raise the flaps up and 4 seconds later to raise the landing gear.

At 15:43:27 hours, the Capt informed the FO "we just lost everything, we lost an engine. I lost both engines".  During the next 25 seconds until the end of the CVR recording, the flight crew was attempting to restart the engines.

The airplane crashed in a residential area about 5.8 miles north of LOS. The airplane wreckage was on approximately the extended centerline of runway 18R.  During the impact sequence, the airplane struck an incomplete building, two trees and three buildings. The wreckage was confined, with the separated tail section and engines located at the beginning of the debris field.

The airplane was mostly consumed by post crash fire. The tail section, both engines and portions of both wings, representing only about 15% of the airplane were recovered from the accident site for further examination.
The two flight recorders, the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) and the flight data recorder (FDR) were analysed at the facilities of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), Washington, D.C., USA.  The solid state based memory in the CVR was in good condition and retained 31 minutes of audio information.  The digital tape based memory in the FDR succumbed to the post crash fire and melted, consequently no data could be recovered.

The captain, age 55, held an airline transport pilot license with type ratings in the A-320[4], DC-9, FK-28[5], and SF-340[6].  He had over 18,116 hours of total time, including 16,416 hours of pilot-in-command time (PIC).  The captain had 7,461 hours in the accident model airplane all of which was as PIC.  He was employed with Dana Air on 14 March 2012. He began flying line operations for the company in late May 2012 and had since accrued over 120 hours of flight time. The captain had acquired about 3, 78, and 116 flight hours, respectively, in the preceding 24 hours, 30 and 90 days.

The first officer, age 34, held a commercial pilot license he was type rated in MD-83.  He had 1,143 hours of total time, including about 200 hours as pilot-in-command.  The first officer had 808 hours in the accident model airplane all of which was second-in-command.  He had been previously employed with Dana Air as the Director of Cabin Service before he was hired as a pilot about January 2011.  The first officer had accrued about 3, 42, and 154 flight hours, respectively, during the preceding 24 hours, 30 and 90 days.

The airplane was manufactured in 1990 and according to maintenance records it had accumulated 60,846 hours  (35,219 cycles) of total time.  The left and right engines respectively had 54,322 (30,933 cycles) and 26,025 (12,466 cycles) hours of total time since new.  A review of the aircraft technical logs did not reveal of the previous 30 days did not indicate a condition.  The airplane had last undergone maintenance on 1st June 2012, and after a return to service flight on 2nd June 2012, it was operated on four revenue flights (two round trips between LOS and ABV) and another four flights on 3rd June 2012.

Fueling records indicated the airplane was uplifted with 8000 lbs of fuel before departure from ABV. The flight crew reported to ATC they had 26,000 lbs of total fuel.  Preliminary analysis of fuel samples from the refueling truck and the supply tank at ABV were negative for contamination.

The investigative activities have included, in part, visual examination of the aircraft wreckage, review of maintenance records and other historical information of the aircraft, documentation of the training and experience of the flight crew, determination the chronology of the flight, review of recorded data, reconstructing the aircraft refueling, and collection of related fuel samples, and interviews of relevant personnel.

Future investigative activities will include, but is not limited to, the detailed examination of the engines, further testing of fuel samples, continued factual gathering of relevant historical, operational, maintenance and performance information of the accident airplane in addition to other similar airplane models, further development of the background of the flightcrew, further analysis of the CVR audio recording and review of pertinent issues associated with regulatory oversight.

As the State of Occurrence, the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) has instituted an investigation in accordance with the standards and recommendations specified in the provisions of Annex 13 of the International Civil Aviation Organization.  As the State of manufacture of the airplane and engine, a US Accredited Representative has been appointed and assisted by US technical advisors from the NTSB, US Federal Aviation Administration, Boeing Airplane Company, and Pratt & Whitney Engines.

In accordance with Annex 13, "the sole objective of the investigation of an accident or incident shall be the prevention of accidents and incidents.  It is not for the purpose of this activity to apportion blame or liability." 
Accordingly, the AIB with the participation of the parties, including the NCAA, will seek to identify any areas of safety concerns during the investigation and implement the appropriate actions for correction or improvement. 

The content of this report is based on preliminary information. The Bureau will continue to conduct the investigation in a meticulous and methodical manner and release facts as they become validated.

SIGNED
CAPT M.S.USMAN,
COMMISSIONER/CEO, AIB


[1] All times are based on local time based on the 24-hour clock

[2] All altitudes are based on mean sea level.

[3] Flight crew made reference to the engine pressure ratio gage.

[4] Airbus A-320

[5] Fokker F-28

[6] Saab SF-340, a twin-engine turboprop airlaine

BANEX PLAZA EXPLOSION IN ABUJA

The explosion occurred at the busy Banex Plaza in Wuse 2 Abuja this night July 3, 2012 Abuja Police PRO has confirmed. Below is an official statement from the Nigeria Police Force in Abuja:

"Today 3rd July 2012 at about 9:30pm, a low level explosion went off somewhere along Aminu Kano Crescent, near Banex Plaza, Wuse 2, Abuja. A crack police team led by the Commissioner of Police in charge of FCT Command- CP Aderenle Shinaba- responded to the distress call, arriving the scene few minutes after the incident. The incident had a zero casualty record- no life lost, no person injured and no car damaged or burnt. Detectives from the Bomb Disposal Unit, assisted by their counterparts 4rm FCT CID have commenced investigation. FCT Police are continuing with their intensive overt & surveillance patrols of the city & wishes to reassure the residents of the police preparedness to continue to provide a safe & secured environment for social & economic activities to thrive unhindered. Meanwhile, mischief makers are in their own interest warned to keep off the city or have themselves to blame as the long arm of the law will soon catch up with them...." CSP Frank Mba (Police Spokesman)

CSP Frank Mba (Police Spokesman)

We’ll break oil cabal – Tompolo

Government Ekpemupolo.. wants a fair share of the oil

 

HE is popularly known as Tompolo, an ex-militant leader that once evoked terror in the Niger-Delta. Most people don’t know him by his bonafide name, Government Ekpemupolo, not to mention that he is a High Chief of Gbaramatu kingdom, Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State.

Looking at his little frame, you would never believe that he was the founder of the dreaded Movement for Emancipation of the Niger-Delta, MEND, and since 2009, when he accepted amnesty; he has kept his cards very close to his chest. Even when he became a subject of controversy over the award of a mouthwatering contract to his company by the Federal Government to provide security on the nation’s territorial waters, he remained taciturn.

But the “generalissimo,” as he was known in the militant world, came out of the cocoon, last week, and spoke to our source in a no holds barred interview. He cleared the air on the controversial  contract, opened up on why the nation’s  oil cabal is after him; how he plans to stop them from looting the country’s resources, what really propelled the Ijaw/Itsekiri crisis, his once dreaded militant hideaway, Camp 5, Niger-Delta struggle, Henry Okah and lots more.  Excerpts.

YOUR real name is Government Ekpemupolo, but you are popularly known as Tompolo, a nickname that rouses fear in people because of your dexterity as a former militant leader. How did you come about the name?

Tompolo is my father’s company’s name and then, I was like the director of operations. Almost everybody calls me Tompolo  because I was the one running the company – that is how the name came about.

What kind of company?

Tompolo Nigeria Limited is a company we have been operating these past 17 years, from Tompolo and Sons to Tompolo Nigeria Limited.

 It deals on what?

It is a general contracting company.

Your first name is Government and I believe you know what government means. How did you father come about the name? Was he expecting you to become government later in your life?

Government is my name, it was given to me by my father’s friend when I was born and it overshadowed every other name.

Where is this your father’s friend from and what warranted his giving you the name?

I was a kid then, I do not know much about it, but from what my father told me, he simply told him that this is the name for this young man and everybody agreed with him.

Looking at your quiet mien, one will never believe that you are the former militant generalissimo that caused a lot of panic in the Niger-Delta. What really propelled you into arms struggle?

What prompted me and maybe a few other people like Paul, Dennis, Ketson, Kingsley Otuaro, Oboko Bello, Dan, George Timinimi and others, was that our God-given land was taken over by our neighbour, the Itsekiri. In the eighties, there was a time when the Itsekiri people came to say they wanted to collect rent from Okerenkoko people, a town that is today an Ijaw community in Gbaramatu kingdom. Also in my father’s land, which is Egwa community,we are still having cases pending in the Supreme Court. The Itsekiri people say they are the owners of Gbaramatu kingdom as a whole. From what I was told, we (Ijaw) are the original owners of the land in question, and our Itsekiri brothers came to meet us there.

Early awareness

You know how our people used to live. They accommodated and lived together with them, but because this early awareness was not in our people, they now used this kangaroo court judgment and at the end say they are the owners of Gbaramatu. Even as we speak, we are still facing cases like this in Ogbe-Ijoh. I was following my father’s elder brother, late Papa Gbamido Ekpemupolo as he went about these cases from one court to another, either in Benin, Warri or Abuja. So when we came to find out that if we don’t stand firm that we will be forced to pay rent to our neighbour, we now said for once, let us take our lives in our hands and fight this battle. That is where the battle between us and our Itsekiri brothers started.

The second stage was the relocation of headquarters of Warri South-West local government area from Ogbe-Ijoh to Ogidigben, an Itsekiri community. However, I have a personal pain. My main concern is this and I will give an instance: If my father told me, my son, this table belongs to me, but people are taking from me by force, then, you know, as a son, you will always keep it in your mind and you grow up to a stage that you can work with it, you will do your work.

What of the larger Niger-Delta struggle, what brought you into it?

The Niger-Delta struggle is something our elder brother, Isaac Adaka-Boro and others started. We know that what is keeping this country together is the oil that is produced in our place and we are not getting anything out of it. And we know that if this oil was to be in the North, it is what they give to government that government would take. Our opinion is that we are the owners of the oil and want to get our fair share.

It was alleged that before the Itsekiri/Ijaw crisis, you were actually into oil bunkering and that was what kept you going?

I think every reasonable man and woman knows that I am not into oil bunkering. Even before 1997, I was working with my father. As the eldest son, I was the person in charge of my father’s business.

Father’s business

My father was one of the contractors …even the contracts we were handling then with Gulf, not Chevron, was not small by obtainable standards. Everybody knows that my father was a contractor. I am not into oil business. My name became associated with oil business when I was in Camp 5 (the militant camp that was destroyed in 2009 by the Joint Task Force, JTF, on Niger-Delta). You see, when people were doing illegal business in my area (front of Camp 5), I had people with me and would ask them to go and ask these people to give them some money so that we could feed with it.

When any vessel comes in from Escravos to Forcados to load crude oil, we have Customs, DPR, Navy, Army, Police and Airforce, everybody is there in Chevron yard. That is why no security person can confront me that I am a bunkerer. Everybody knows that I am not a bunkerer and that is the more reason why I am surviving up till date.

Talking about Camp 5, how did you come about the place. It has buildings patterned into a barrack structure with training field and an adjoining canal. Did you build the camp?

No, when we started this struggle, our base was a personal house at Okerenkoko and that was the place everybody was using. We called the place Abuja. You know if you want to achieve your aim and objectives, you cannot stay in the midst of people to do a genuine struggle.  Also, there is a deity, Egbesu, that we used to fight this war and there are things that you cannot involve yourselves.

Like maybe you are going out for operation tomorrow, you will not sleep with your wife and you will not even eat food that a woman prepared.

For me to confront the Nigerian government to a stage where we would be recognized, I needed to move my people out of Okerenkoko, that was how I went to fence… there is a place before Camp 5, which is Iroko, we went there, but Camp 5 was a camp that Julius Berger Construction Company built I think in the eighties, so the structures were there.

Money to build new structures

I just went there to clear the place because I didn’t have money to build new structures. And the place is strategic, you know, so I now roofed the houses and base in Camp 5 and I was there. A lot of people were coming and you had to have a place for them to sit down and you talk with them on the struggle.

My intention was not to kill innocent person and that was the reason why even at the point of open confrontation, maybe  if I saw that the soldiers were seriously injured, I would bring them into my camp, given them treatment and take them back.

Is this really true?

Yes, that was what I was doing and a lot of security people can attest to that.

Okay, how did the name Camp 5 come about?

Julius Berger was having a lot of camps; they had camp 3, camp 4, camp 6 and camp 5. That was the name that was given to that place by Julius Berger.

It was the Niger-Delta struggle that gave birth to the Movement for the Emancipation of Niger-Delta, MEND. There is controversy up till date on the formation and leadership of this group. How was it formed and who is the leader?

I think that it is not an issue that people will argue about; every reasonable person knows that I am the founder of MEND. Like I am here, I have people who are graduates (pointing to one of them who was with him during this interview), I did not go to school, so anything concerning paper work, they are the people to handle it. I am not the only person though, there are others. If you are doing something, you have to put heads together with others because the idea is to cut across our nine states.

That was how MEND was formed and that was the reason the last time that all the ex-militant leaders went to Abuja, in the presence of everybody, I told them that I am the owner of MEND. It was formed in Camp 5.  I said it in the presence of everybody and nobody can contest it with me.

You see, most of these ‘generals’ you see today that are everywhere, I produced them, except the leader of the Niger-Delta Peoples Volunteer Force, NDPVF, Alhaji Mujahid Dokubo-Asari and Ateke Tom; every other ‘general’ that you are hearing their names, blah, blah, blah, I produced them from Camp 5. But you know, when somebody is doing something, especially when money comes, you know power, everybody will support it, even today, all of them know that I am their leader.

What is the involvement of Henry Okah in MEND? He is also being referred to as the leader of MEND?

(Voice rising) I think I will not discuss much on that, but if not for the recent happenings, Henry Okah was one of us. That is the truth and he is somebody that if not for greed and his trying to say that I want to be all and all, he is one person that all of us respect. He is one of us.

What was really the vision of MEND that time?

MEND- the name MEND, our vision was to fight for our people, free them from bondage, which was the essence of MEND. And that was the reason Alhaji Dokubo-Asari and former governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, were arrested and the N1.5 billion that was supposed to be paid to Bayelsa people was not paid. Even till now, we are waiting, MEND had to mount pressure on the Nigerian government. Even Henry Okah before he was released, I mean this last one before his present predicament, we fought and they were released.

With the present situation of things in the Niger-Delta, can you boldly say that MEND is dead?

MEND, for now, as all of us came out to embrace amnesty; I think the issue of MEND is over. Today, if anybody is using MEND on any platform, I think we should call the person to come and give us the reason he is doing that. If there is any reason today or tomorrow for us to go back to the creek, and we decide to use MEND, then we can bring it back. But for now, MEND is nowhere, anybody that is using MEND is using it for his own personal interest.

In 2009, that was three years ago, the JTF declared you wanted, razed your house at Oporoza and the palace of your royal father, but you simply disappeared. The task force could not get you and there was information that you escaped from the country. Can you tell us how you survived the manhunt without being caught?

That is a long story. When they were bombing Oporoza and Camp 5, I was there. The belief I have up till date is that I am into a genuine struggle and so, no amount of bomb or gun can do anything to me and others that are in it. We were doing our community festival when the army went and bombed Oporoza with small children, women and everybody in the gathering. One person was seriously injured and because of lack of medical care, he died. The person is my brother, even now, the daughter is with me, I left her an hour ago to come and wait for this interview. So, I was there and after the whole battle, as they were going from one village to another village, I was there monitoring them.

Bombing of Oporoza

Even the day Okerenkoko was burnt down, I was there. My father’s village was burnt down, you know, when they came back to loot Oporoza, I was there because that is my place. One can do all sorts of things, but for one to go to your village and get to where you are, it is not an easy matter. It was after this that I quickly moved out of the country for about two weeks.

I know that I can always save my people and when I came back, I was in touch with top government functionaries, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Ministers and even the JTF Commander, who was hunting for me. I called him and asked him: You said you want to get me dead or alive? I told him it was not possible and he said no, he would get me, and I told him; if you can do it, carry on.

Are you talking about Major-General Mohammed Sarkin-Bello or Brigadier General Rimtip?

I was talking to Rimtip and the other one, Mohammed, the one who was in-charge of the operation directly.

You mean when you were right there in Oporoza or you were hiding in the forest when the soldiers were searching for you?

I was there. There was even a day when they came to Okerenkoko, I was there, after the burning down of the place, I was there, it is my area, and nobody can drive me out of the place.

 You later accepted amnesty; can you tell us the circumstance that made you to accept amnesty?

You know when I came back, I fought back, it was then I attacked Chevron and went to Atlas Cove in Lagos. After then, the government now realized that the matter was far more than it was thinking as we had the capacity to cripple the economy.

MEND claimed responsibility for these attacks and because the JTF was searching for you, nobody would think you were behind it?

After these particular attacks, which were massive, everybody was calling me that we should settle this matter, that as soon as I come out to accept amnesty, the government too would do what they are supposed to do for us. So because of the pressure on me, I told myself, let me try to save my people, who were being killed and harassed by soldiers under the pretext that they were searching for me.

You know, majority of the people of Gbaramatu were out of their villages and communities for about three months because of this problem. So, I came out, it was myself and two other persons, I now said, if they want to kill anybody, I will surrender myself, instead of allowing them to kill my people. So I went straight to Abuja, I did not go with police, I did not go with anything, I went straight to Abuja, I went straight to meet the then President, Alhaji Umaru Yar’Adua and he said that it was himself who asked them to declare me wanted. And that he was very sorry and that we should put heads together and build Nigeria together. So I agreed with him and accepted amnesty.

At the time you went to Abuja, you were still being looked for by the JTF and I know I asked him at that time, he said you would be arrested once you were seen because you had not accepted amnesty. So how did you find yourself in Abuja with Yar’Adua, did you fly, which road did you pass?

I know my way to Abuja, how I got there is between me and my God.