Okowa/Otuaro
On the matter of the hotly contested Delta State Governorship beauty parade, many often ask about the deputy to Okowa, the ruling party’s candidate. The name of the deputy is Barrister Kingsley BurutuOtuaro. The commonest comment of Otuaro is that he is the cousin of Niger Delta Militant Tompolo, commander of Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) once declared “the most wanted man in Nigeria” in 2009 during the administration of late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua. I can reveal that he is much more than that. In fact, I have evidence to suggest that Otuaro is in fact a Niger Delta Militant himself, responsible for the kidnapping of foreign workers, destruction of Oil facilities, running combat operations against the Nigerian military and terrorising Itsekiri communities in Warri. Otuaro, like Tompolo, is one of the few militants who have become extremely rich through the amnesty programme and from ransoms paid by foreign companies for the release of kidnapped employees.
Questions will be will be asked as to what Okowa knew before making the choice of having Otuaro as his deputy. Certainly Otuaro has dropped the gun and put on a nice suit; with the hope that they can re-write history. His personal website www.kingsleyotuaro.com, describes him as ‘a widely travelled business man, a seasoned politician, a lawyer, a philanthropist and a devoted Christian whose wealth of experience spans across the private and the public sector of the Nigerian Business economy. He served as the honourable commissioner representing the Ijaw ethnic nationality in the board of .DESOPADEC’; no mention whatsoever of his more nefarious background. It does however mention that ‘prior to his appointment he was the chairman, Okerenko Federated Communities (2000 - 2006), Managing Director, Bruz-OtusNig Ltd, and oil servicing contractors governor on community affairs (2005 - 2007), Chairman, Delta State Rehabilitation Committee of Internally Displaced Persons (2009)’.
I can categorically confirm that barrister Kingsley BurutuOtuaro, deputy Governor candidate in the 2015 Delta State Elections is the same person as KignsleyOtuaro, Secretary General of the terrorist militant group Federated Niger Delta Ijaw Communities (FNDIC); which operated alongside MEND (Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta). FNDIC was established in 2003, Otuaro became the president of the group in 2009 when he deposed Chief Bello Oboko following the amnesty agreement with the Nigerian Government. The group’s details are logged as a terrorist group on the online database of TRAC (Terrorism Research & Analysis Consortium). United States’ Defence services also reported on the activities of the group and these were revealed on the wikileaks files.
In May 2009, Brigadier-General SarkinYaki Bello, commander of the Joint Military Task Force, JTF, in Niger Delta, had declared Government Ekpemupolo the most wanted man in Nigeria. Tompolo, Otuaro and others led militants in the Gbaramutu creeks of the Niger Delta who were responsible for executing 11 soldiers and operating illegal refineries, bunkering, vandalising oil pipelines, engaging in kidnapping and piracy.
One of the most daring operations of FNDIC was the taking of 9 expatriates as hostages in 2006, this was detailed in Nairaland.com. Bello, the then President, started negotiations with government representatives led by another Gbaramatu leader, Chief Jonathan Ari. The Bello team made a ten point demand that must be met by the government before the hostages are to be released. The demands of FNDIC which was contained in a letter addressed to President Olusegun Obasanjo and signed by Chief Bello Oboko, President; MR. KINGSLEY OTUARO, SECRETARY GENERAL, Chief Government Ekpomupolo, director of mobilisation, Hon. George Timinimi, spokesman and Comrade Dan Ekpebide, chief adviser.
Such a man as Otuaro is not fit to hold such an esteemed public office and neither is Okowa who picked him. The change we want in Delta State is a progressive one and not one were militants in plane clothes occupy government house. It is clear that Okowa made this choice to benefit from the financing and the ‘muscle’ of the Tompolo axis, but we must ask ourselves whether these characters represent the future we envision for our State.
By: SelekereTimipre