Ijaw National leader, Chief Edwin Clark and former Governor of Bayelsa State, Seriake Dickson, have congratulated Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, on his acquittal by the Federal High Court, Lagos, on Wednesday.
A Lagos Division of the Federal High Court on Wednesday dismissed all the 40 counts bordering on alleged N34 billion fraud filed by the Federal Government against Global West Vessel Specialist Limited, a company linked to Tompolo, and a former Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Patrick Akpobolokemi, among others.
Clark and Dickson, who made the call after a closed door consultative meeting in a statement they jointly signed on Thursday in Abuja, called on the Federal Government to release all properties seized from Tompolo, his firm and co-accused.
The two Ijaw leaders said that they also reviewed the situation in the Niger Delta especially the growing tension among ex-agitators and condemn the delay in the appointment of a substantive Coordinator from the region for Presidential Amnesty Office.
The two leaders also called for the implementation of resolutions and agreements reached with the Pan Niger Delta Development Forum on the long-term development, security and stability of the Niger Delta.
“We had a closed door consultative meeting in Abuja on Thursday where we reviewed the situation of things in the Niger Delta and the Ijaw nation.
“We both congratulate High Chief Government Tompolo and his co accused who were discharged and acquitted yesterday.
“We call on appropriate authorities to hand over properties earlier seized and confiscated from him and his company.
“We also reviewed developments and rising tension among ex-agitators in the Niger Delta. We condemned the delay in appointing the coordinator and asked for the immediate appointment of a boss for the office.
“We also call for the implementation of the resolution and agreement reached with PANDEF on the development, security and stability of the region,” the duo said.
