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Tom Pollo, Niger Delta Militant, Gets N6.72 Billion Contract


Leadership (Abuja)


NEWS
4 January 2008
Posted to the web 4 January 2008


Former governor of Delta State, Chief James Onanefe Ibori, has been linked to a
$56 million (N6.72 billion) pipelines contract awarded recently to Tom Pollo, a
top militant operating in Delta State.

This is indicative of the kind of leverage Ibori has on the Federal Government,
a confidential source said.



The source stated that the region's militants, whom he described as "the Ibori
boys," are being used by the former governor as part of his strategy to
maintain his political influence in the area.

LEADERSHIP investigation revealed that Chief Ibori, who is currently facing
criminal charges over alleged money laundering and corrupt practices at the
Federal High Court, Kaduna, recently deceived the Federal Government into
awarding the contract to Mr. Pollo.

The warlord, according to the report, is one of the leaders of the insurgency
in the Niger Delta.

In its edition of yesterday, LEADERSHIP has revealed how Ibori is running the
government from prison.

He relies heavily on his contacts with the inspector general of police, Sir
Mike Okiro, the attorney general of the federation, Mr Michael Aondoakaa, and
Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State to maintain his influence in
government circles.

"In fact, in Delta State the talk in the streets is that Ibori handed over
power to his brother because both Uduaghan and Ibori grew up together in the
same household," our source revealed further.

"Uduaghan put shame aside recently and went to court seeking an injunction
restraining the EFCC from questioning Ibori because, according to the governor,
he did not steal the funds of Delta State even though in private he (Uduaghan)
laments the wanton pillaging of the state coffers by Ibori."

Uduaghan, who is Ibori's maternal first cousin, holds the purse strings for any
operation requiring money on the Ibori case.

According to our source, "Uduaghan is very useful for the large cash he makes
available for the activities of the clique.

"Since EFCC arrested Ibori and charged him to court, those who know the
relationship between Uduaghan and Ibori said Governor Uduaghan had not hidden
the fact that he is a loyal protege of his predecessor.

"In government circles today, the joke is that Uduaghan is the Odili of the
Yar'Adua government."

The then Governor Peter Odili of Rivers State was known to have funded many of
the underground activities of the former president Olusegun Obasanjo.

"The complaint among the elite of the ruling class who were beneficiaries of
the Obasanjo era is that Yar'Adua does not release money.

"He doesn't grease his ways with money as they were used to under the Obasanjo
government.

"That is why Ibori and Uduaghan became very powerful because they effortlessly
filled the vacuum created.

"The Delta State governor provides lots of cash."


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