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How Tompolo, Tantita Places Newspaper Advert Worth over 80Million Naira to Celebrant Tinubu’s Birthday
Mr. Goverment Oweide Ekpemupolo alias Tompolo
In what seems to be overzealousness and flaboyant life style, Mr. Government Oweide Ekpemupolo and his security firm, Tantita Security Services Ltd. (TSSL), may have lavished N80 million on newspaper advertisements in celebration of President Bola Tinubu’s 72nd birthday if the information in our disposal is anything to go by.
President Tinubu had earlier expressed his desire not to hold any flamboyant event to celebrate his birthday this year due to economic hardship in the country, a directives that was flaunted by Tompolo who later denied ever directing anyone to place advert on newspaper to celebrate the president’s birthday.
He told his well-wishers not to produce any newspaper advertisements in his honour and that whatever funds they had could be donated to orphanages and the poor.
Tompolo has, however, placed adverts on the front pages of six legacy newspapers to celebrate the president.
The advertisements conspicuously appeared on the front pages of The PUNCH, Tribune, Daily Trust, The Guardian, The Sun and Leadership newspaper today.
This reporter checked to know how much could possibly have been spent to actualise these advertisements in honour of the president. Notably, these newspapers have different advertisement rates, which could have been informed by factors like coverage, quality, sizes and operational costs.
The advertisements were all of the same size. this medium understands that they were “special position” advertisements printed on size 10×6 (colour).
According to the rates obtained, The PUNCH charges N19 million, Tribune takes N12 million, while Daily Trust charges N14 million.
The Guardian and The Sun’s rates are N13,230,000 and N13,437,000, respectively. Leadership’s print advertisement rates were not available when this medium checked. However, the advertisement rate for the same size (10×6) is expected to be around N10 million.
These rates include the 7.5 percent value-added tax (VAT) remitted to the federal government.
Sometimes, newspapers concede certain discounts to advertisers for customer retention purposes and some other reasons. Based on these tariffs, Tompolo’s company may have expended N81,667,000 in sponsoring these adverts.
TSSL is a government contractor protecting public oil and gas infrastructure to guarantee steady production and curb asset vandalisation in the Niger Delta area of the country.
This medium gathered that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd. (NNPCL), despite paying N48 billion annually to Tantita security services limited, lamented that it could not handle oil theft in the country.
In a twist of event, Tompolo the same day his advertorial came out denied placing advertisements in newspaper to celebrate President Bola Tinubu’s birthday.
Tompolo statement was contained in a statement by his Media Consultant, Dr Paul Bebenimibo on Friday in Warri, Delta State.
The statement reads:
My attention has been drawn to adverts placed in front and inside pages of some Nigerian Newspapers celebrating President Tinubu at 72 today.
“To put the records straight, I did not place any advert to celebrate Mr President in the media neither did I instruct anyone to do so on my behalf.
“This is because of Mr President’s instruction that no one should organise a birthday party or place an advert to celebrate him in the media, as a result of the state of the Nation.
“He said such money should be given as alms to the less privileged in the society. I bought the idea wholeheartedly, hence heed the warning and instruction,” he said.
Insiders sources told our reporter that Tompolo immediately directed his media consultant, Mr. Paul Bebenimibo to deny the advertorial following a communication from the Villa that President Bola Tinubu was not happy with him for flaunting his directives, who earlier warned that no one should place advert on newspaper to celebrant his birthday.