EFFURUN — In a major mobilization of grassroots structures, community organizers, and regional influencers, the United League for Women and Youth Empowerment, popularly known as the Tompolo Support Group, descended upon the ancient city of Effurun, Delta State, on Thursday, June 25, 2026. The massive, high-powered convergence took place at the Hotel De Mark, located along the historic Ovie Palace Road, bringing together key stakeholders, youth leaders, and women advocates from across the various states of the oil-rich Niger Delta region. The summit, described by attendees as a gathering of grit, gratitude, and galvanized regional loyalty, served as a strategic platform to review current security successes in the maritime domain and reaffirm absolute, unshakable allegiance to the traditional institutions and leadership architectures governing the region.
Presiding over the extensive deliberations was the National President of the movement, Honorable Princess Efe Ekpokpe, an influential grassroots mobilizer widely referred to by her supporters and regional stakeholders as The Princess of the Niger Delta. Flanked by a formidable array of male and female leaders drawn from the length and breadth of the Niger Delta states, Princess Ekpokpe led the assembly in speaking with a unified, resolute voice. The primary declaration echoing through the halls of the summit was one of unalloyed loyalty and defensive solidarity for the prominent leader and recognized hero of the Niger Delta struggles, High Chief Dr. Government Oweizide Ekpemupolo, universally known as Tompolo.
Addressing an energized press corps immediately after the conclusion of the closed-door technical session, Princess Ekpokpe stated that the elder statesman has systematically demonstrated the true essence of transformative leadership through tangible interventions rather than political grandstanding. She noted that Tompolo has proved beyond any measure of doubt that leadership is entirely about direct action and not empty rhetoric. She argued that where other contemporary figures merely make noise, the High Chief makes verifiable progress, and where alternative platforms offer hollow promises, his structured interventions consistently perform to the benefit of the local communities.
Beyond internal solidarity, the national leadership of the Tompolo Support Group utilized the medium of the Effurun summit to extend its profound appreciation to the highest level of federal governance. Princess Ekpokpe expressed deep-seated gratitude to the President and Grand Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for his administration's forward-thinking decision to approve the contract renewal for TANTITA Security Services Nigeria Limited. The group maintained that the president's administrative step reflects a deep understanding of the delicate security dynamics of the Niger Delta creeks, proving that the federal government values local intelligence and community-backed surveillance over abstract maritime policing models.
The Princess poured immense accolades on the corporate leadership driving the successes of the private security firm. She specifically hailed the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of TANTITA Security Services, High Chief Engineer Kestin Ebimorbowei Pondi, who holds the prestigious traditional title of the Ibebenimowei of Gbaramatu Kingdom. She commended his administrative precision, unwavering patriotism, and protective stewardship over the complex waterways of the Niger Delta, noting that his specialized surveillance strategies have drastically curbed the menace of crude oil theft, pipeline vandalism, and environmental degradation, thereby stabilizing the national economy.
The summit effectively assembled the operational core and organizational structure of the empowerment movement, featuring an impressive roster of regional dignitaries and executive officers. Among the prominent leaders actively steering the deliberations were Chief Okeh Emokiniovo Taiwo, who serves as the Vice President of the organization, alongside Princess Patience Oki, an influential leader within the movement, and Madam Ikembor Meg, who functions in the dual capacity of Leader and Provost. The regional coordination structure was fully represented by veteran organizers, including Mama Ekiugbo Onoriode Christiana, who oversees the Delta Central Senatorial District as Coordinator, Deaconess Dora Gbabo, managing the affairs of Delta South, and Mrs. Ineh Christiana, anchoring the organizational framework for Delta North, alongside dozens of National, State, and Local Government Area executives.
The leadership did not fail to accord total respect to the traditional institutions providing spiritual and moral anchors for the region's stability. Princess Ekpokpe expressed special gratitude to His Imperial Majesty, Oboro-Gbaraun II, Aketekpe, Agadagba, the Pere of Gbaramatu Kingdom, thanking the monarch for his fatherly counsel, crowned wisdom, and constant support extended to the youth and women empowerment groups. Additional appreciation was extended to Mr. Tare Godfrey Pondi, High Chief Mrs. Vero Emmanuel Tangbowei, the Ibe-Benemo-Ere and National Woman Leader of Gbaramatu Kingdom, and various other unnamable heroes and heroines whose structural support has held the movement firm against external pressures.
In her final closing charge to the delegates, the National President emphasized that the Effurun convergence was not a mere ceremonial gathering, but a binding administrative mandate to maintain regional peace and drive economic empowerment from the roots. She stated that the women and youth of the movement are driven entirely by constructive purpose, choosing the path of development and strategic collaboration rather than aimless protest. She concluded her signed communique by declaring that the group stands firmly with Tompolo today, tomorrow, and until total socioeconomic victory is achieved for the people of the Niger Delta.
