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The Amanyanabo of the Source, Elem Kalabari, Torusaramapiri, Da Amakiri Tubo, Alhaji Mujahid Abubakr Dokubo-Asari, has challenged the Olu of Warri and social commentator, Joel Omosere Agho, to provide verifiable evidence on allegations surrounding ₦2.7 trillion in pipeline security payments.
He said the controversy should focus on transparency, accountability and the responsibilities of those involved in pipeline security contracts, rather than personal attacks and name-calling.
The position was contained in a statement issued by the Palace’s Spokesman and Chief Press Secretary, Alabo Daerefa-a Christopher Braide, who said the recent response from the Palace of the Olu of Warri had failed to address substantive questions raised by Da Amakiri Tubo during a live broadcast.
The broadcast followed comments by Agho, popularly known as Mr Common Sense, on the earnings of Niger Delta leaders involved in pipeline security arrangements.
The Amanyanabo said he was not defending High Chief Government Oweizide Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, but questioning what he described as selective criticism of some Niger Delta figures while other alleged beneficiaries of pipeline security contracts were not subjected to similar scrutiny.
He maintained that accountability should apply to everyone, irrespective of ethnicity, political connections, traditional status or personal relationships.
The statement said Agho had questioned Niger Delta leaders, including Tompolo and Dokubo-Asari, over the region’s persistent underdevelopment, despite the substantial sums reportedly associated with pipeline security contracts.
It, however, challenged Agho to explain why his criticism allegedly focused on Tompolo and Dokubo-Asari while overlooking the Olu of Warri and Osahon Idahosa, whom the Palace identified as one the beneficiaries of pipeline security contracts reportedly involving substantial payments.
The Palace questioned whether ethnic affiliations influenced the disparity in public scrutiny, while stressing that the figures and contractual interests attributed to the individuals concerned must be established through verifiable evidence.
It also questioned why Dokubo-Asari had been associated with the controversy, maintaining that he was not connected to the pipeline security contracts in question.
The statement called for independent verification of the allegations concerning the amounts received by the named individuals and urged anyone disputing the claims to provide documentary evidence.
On the development challenges facing the Niger Delta, the Amanyanabo argued that private contractors should not be held solely responsible for failures in a region whose governance, public infrastructure and essential services fall within the responsibilities of elected governments and statutory institutions.
The statement recalled that Dokubo-Asari had said his involvement in the Niger Delta struggle came at considerable personal cost, including repeated detentions and a treason charge during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
According to the Palace, his involvement was motivated by concerns over resource exploitation, environmental degradation, poverty, marginalisation and inadequate development in oil-producing communities.
It questioned the basis for holding him responsible for the region’s development challenges without establishing the public office he occupies, the development funds under his control or the statutory responsibilities assigned to him.
The statement asked whether Dokubo-Asari had served as a governor or headed institutions such as the Niger Delta Development Commission, the Presidential Amnesty Programme, the Niger Delta Basin Development Authority or other interventionist agencies responsible for regional development.
It said accountability should be directed at individuals and institutions according to their actual responsibilities.
“Accountability must follow responsibility,” the statement said, arguing that earnings from private contracts did not automatically confer on contractors the constitutional responsibilities of elected governments or the statutory mandates of public development institutions.
The Palace, however, acknowledged that private contractors could legitimately be questioned about their earnings, contractual arrangements and corporate social responsibility obligations to host communities.
It said a comprehensive assessment of the Niger Delta’s development challenges must also examine the performance of state governments, development agencies, oil companies and other institutions responsible for public services, infrastructure and environmental protection.
Calls For Verifiable Facts
Reacting to the response from the Palace of the Olu of Warri, the Amanyanabo said personal exchanges and provocative language would not resolve questions surrounding the reported ₦2.7 trillion pipeline security payments.
He called for clarification of the basis for the figures attributed to the alleged beneficiaries, the contractual arrangements involved, the identities and interests of the parties concerned, and the mechanisms through which host communities benefit from economic activities on their ancestral lands and waters.
The statement said the appropriate response, if the figures attributed to the Olu of Warri and Osahon Idahosa were inaccurate, would be to provide verifiable information to correct the record.
It described the controversy as a matter of public interest that should be addressed through facts rather than personal attacks.
The Palace said Niger Delta communities deserved a transparent account of the pipeline security business and a broader examination of why communities contributing significantly to Nigeria’s oil economy continued to face environmental degradation, inadequate infrastructure and poverty.
Defends Kalabari Royal Heritage
The statement also defended the royal standing and ancestral heritage of the Amanyanabo of the Source against what it described as attempts to diminish his status.
It identified Da Amakiri Tubo as a descendant of the Amakiri royal dynasty and the son of the late Justice Melford Goodhead Dokubo, a former Rivers State High Court judge.
According to the Palace, the Kalabari traditional institution derives its identity from ancestry, customary law, historical continuity and the heritage of its people, rather than political patronage or the approval of another traditional institution.
It said government recognition of traditional institutions for administrative purposes should be distinguished from their ancestral and customary foundations.
The Palace maintained that the Amanyanabo remained secure in the history of the Amakiri dynasty and had no intention of engaging in a contest of royal status with the Olu of Warri.
It urged the parties to avoid language that could distract from the substantive issues, adding that disagreements over historical standing should be addressed through credible historical records, customary traditions and verifiable evidence.
Demands Accountability From All Parties
Reiterating its position, the Palace challenged Agho to extend his scrutiny to all relevant beneficiaries of pipeline security contracts and the governments and public institutions responsible for the development of the Niger Delta.
It also called on the Palace of the Olu of Warri to provide evidence if it disputed the figures or allegations raised in the controversy.
The statement stressed that the Amanyanabo’s position was not that private contractors should escape scrutiny, but that public accountability should not be selective.
It said addressing the region’s development challenges required an honest assessment of contractual arrangements, public spending, institutional performance, environmental damage and the provision of essential services to oil-producing communities.
“The issue is not who can trade the harshest words. The issue is who is prepared to account for the facts, accept responsibility where it properly belongs and answer the questions that matter to the people of the Niger Delta,” the statement said.
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