Engineer Samuel Kalama Appeals to High Chief Tompolo to Personally Resolve Global West Consultants’ Dispute
By Global Egberi Media International Ltd
13 July 2026
Engineer Samuel Kalama, who identified himself as an indigene of Egbema Clan in Delta State and a staff member of Global West Vessel Specialist Limited, has appealed to High Chief Oweizide Ekpemupolo (Tompolo) to personally intervene and resolve what he described as the lingering dispute involving consultants engaged in the recovery of funds allegedly owed to the company by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA).
In a letter addressed to the Editor-in-Chief of Global Egberi Media International Ltd and dated July 13, 2026, Kalama narrated his account of events surrounding the maritime security contract previously executed by Global West Vessel Specialist Limited for NIMASA.
According to him, Global West Vessel Specialist Limited handled a maritime security contract for NIMASA from approximately 2011 until 2015. He explained that the contract was discontinued following the inauguration of the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari. Despite the termination of the project, Kalama alleged that NIMASA remained indebted to Global West for services already rendered.
He stated that although the company’s operations were halted, the management did not disengage its workforce, leaving employees in prolonged uncertainty while awaiting the resolution of the outstanding financial dispute. He further claimed that even after the company was exonerated in court, payment was allegedly withheld because a separate arbitration process remained pending between NIMASA and Global West.
Kalama disclosed that he personally initiated efforts within the Federal Ministry of Justice aimed at resolving the dispute between the parties. According to him, several meetings were held in pursuit of an amicable settlement.
He further stated that the late Managing Director of Global West Vessel Specialist Limited, Capt. Winfred Itima, issued him a written mandate authorizing him to pursue every legitimate avenue to recover the outstanding funds on behalf of the company. He also alleged that the late Managing Director verbally agreed that commissions would be paid to consultants or agents engaged in facilitating the recovery process.
According to Kalama, several consultants were engaged over time without success until Newtime Bohemia Limited became involved in 2022. He claimed that the consulting firm successfully mounted pressure on NIMASA, leading the agency to agree to pursue an out-of-court settlement. However, before negotiations could be concluded, Capt. Winfred Itima passed away in 2023, resulting, according to Kalama, in delays because there was no substantive leadership to oversee the affairs of the company until 2025.
Despite these developments, Kalama maintained that he continued collaborating with Newtime Bohemia Limited by writing to NIMASA and pursuing additional initiatives aimed at facilitating an out-of-court settlement. He further alleged that he mobilized workers in Lagos to attend arbitration proceedings in an effort to persuade both the arbitration panel and the parties involved to resolve the dispute in the interest of employees who had reportedly remained unpaid for years.
Kalama also claimed that although NIMASA’s legal representatives allegedly assured him and Newtime Bohemia Limited that they would participate in settlement meetings, they were eventually excluded. He alleged that the company’s lawyer and the new Managing Director assumed control of the settlement process and prevented them from participating despite their presence at NIMASA during scheduled meetings.
According to the letter, Global West eventually reached a settlement with NIMASA but was initially unable to secure approval from the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy for the release of the funds.
Kalama further claimed that because workers remained anxious over prolonged non-payment, he and Newtime Bohemia Limited engaged another group of consultants in Lagos to facilitate discussions with the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy. He alleged that representations made regarding the plight of workers, including reports of prolonged hardship and deaths among affected employees, influenced the Minister to approve the release of the funds.
He alleged that NIMASA has since paid the company in two instalments.
However, Kalama alleged that rather than prioritizing workers’ welfare, the current Managing Director, Mr. Olugbenga Leke Oyewole, paid what he described as “phantom contractors,” specifically mentioning a company identified as Zimek, which he alleged received more than five million United States dollars. Global Egberi Media International Ltd has not independently verified this allegation.
He further alleged that consultants who played significant roles in facilitating the release of the funds have not been compensated, while, according to him, other individuals are now claiming consultancy roles they did not perform.
Kalama also stated that controversies surrounding the handling of the matter prompted High Chief Oweizide Ekpemupolo (Tompolo) to establish a fact-finding committee reportedly headed by Capt. Jolly Isede, Operations Manager of Global West Vessel Specialist Limited.
According to Kalama, the committee travelled to Lagos where it allegedly met individuals he described as the genuine consultants responsible for facilitating the settlement and confirmed their involvement. He further claimed that the Managing Director was unable to present the consultants he allegedly relied upon. Kalama also alleged that the report submitted by the committee was subsequently ignored without explanation and that issues surrounding consultants’ entitlements have delayed the release of a third instalment of funds.
On workers’ welfare, Kalama alleged that the Managing Director eventually paid two years’ salaries to employees after sustained pressure but did so without consultation with the workers’ labour consultant, Mr. Crowther Okiakpe. He maintained that many workers had reportedly gone for more than a decade without receiving their salaries.
He further alleged that 15 percent was deducted from each worker’s salary, claiming that the deductions represented commissions legally due to the workers’ labour consultant under a Power of Attorney arrangement. According to Kalama, the money, which he estimated at over ₦200 million, has allegedly not been remitted to the consultant.
Kalama further claimed that he had been informed that High Chief Tompolo instructed his personal lawyer and the Managing Director to ensure proper handling of consultants’ payments. However, he alleged that the process has not achieved the intended objective because, according to him, the relevant stakeholders have not been properly engaged.
He therefore appealed directly to High Chief Tompolo to convene all consultants involved in the matter and personally oversee a final resolution. According to Kalama, Tompolo had previously assured stakeholders that consultants would be invited after workers’ salaries had been settled, and he expressed hope that the promise would be fulfilled.
Kalama also disclosed that he has allegedly received repeated threats from persons he engaged as consultants during the recovery process. He claimed that the threats included intimidation, arrest, physical harm and death threats.
Expressing concern for his personal safety, he appealed to High Chief Tompolo to intervene urgently, while reaffirming his determination to continue pursuing what he described as justice in the matter.
As of the time of filing this report, the individuals and organizations mentioned in Engineer Kalama’s letter, including Global West Vessel Specialist Limited, Mr. Olugbenga Leke Oyewole, NIMASA, the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, and High Chief Oweizide Ekpemupolo (Tompolo), had not publicly responded to the specific allegations contained in his submission to Global Egberi Media International Ltd.
Global Egberi Media International Ltd notes that the allegations contained in Engineer Samuel Kalama’s letter represent his personal account and have not been independently verified. The publication remains open to receiving and publishing responses from all parties mentioned in the interest of fairness, balance and responsible journalism.
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