From ONYEKACHUKWU MELUWA, Yenagoa
Former President Goodluck Jonathan and Niger Delta leader, High Chief Government Ekpemupolo (Tompolo), held a private meeting at the former president’s residence in Otuoke, Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, to discuss issues bordering on peace and security in the region.
Tompolo, who is the Chairman of Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited, TSSNL, the firm handling the surveillance of oil facilities in the Niger Delta, arrived Jonathan’s residence shortly after noon, accompanied by the Managing Director of Tantita, High Chief Kestin Pondi, and the 2023 deputy governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Bayelsa State, Joshua Maciver, among others.
Speaking with journalists after the closed-door session, Jonathan said he invited Tompolo for consultations, following public complaints and the need to sustain the peace that currently prevails in the Niger Delta.
“Since I left office, we have not seen. Tompolo is one young man who played a key role in the unity of our people.
“There are issues that people are complaining about, so I decided to call him so that we can have conversations to make sure that the Niger Delta continues to be peaceful. He has contributed significantly to the peace and security of oil installations,” Jonathan said.
The visit came less than 72 hours after Tompolo donated ₦10 billion to Delta Security Trust Fund, a gesture seen as part of his wider commitment to security and development in the region.
Sources close to the meeting said the discussion also focused on the sustenance of the Presidential Amnesty Programme and how to deepen collaboration among key stakeholders to consolidate ongoing peace efforts.
Tompolo, who made a rare public appearance during the visit, was last seen after a meeting with the former president nearly a decade ago.
Political watchers in Yenagoa said the meeting also carries a subtle 2027 political undertone, coming months after Tompolo publicly praised President Bola Tinubu and was named Grand Patron of PBAT Door-2-Door Movement, a group targeting 10 million votes for the president in the next election.
For many observers, the visit underlines renewed efforts to foster dialogue and stability in the Niger Delta amid growing calls for inclusive engagement and equitable development.
