Niger Delta Youth Forum has described as untrue and
blackmail reports linking former Chairman of Niger Delta Development
Commission, Mr Nsima Ekere, with the $16m allegedly found in the account of
Brig. Gen. Charles Nengite and his wife by authorities in the United States.
According to NDYF, the report is a ploy by Minister of Niger
Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, to unjustly indict Ekere. In a statement signed by
Dr Eket Udo, the group said there were deliberate attempts to bring down the
former NDDC chairman.
The statement reads, “We see this report as another ploy to
tarnish the image of Nsima Ekere by Akpabio who has embarked on vendetta
against his perceived enemies using this Interim Committee of the NDDC.
This is even more embarrassing and shameful giving the fact
that the same Akpabio is facing several charges of corruption during his tenure
as governor of Akwa Ibom and in order to evade prosecution he joined the ruling
All Progressives Congress.
“However, our take is that the Federal Government must call
Akpabio to order because his activities so far in using the NDDC interim
committee to witch-hunt perceived political enemies will plunge the Niger Delta
region into fresh crisis.
“We have discovered that the report was deliberately
sponsored to paint Nsima Ekere in bad light.
“We advise Akpabio that rather than allowing himself being
used by enemies of the Niger Delta to destabilise the region by hanging fake
allegations against our leaders, he should meet with elders of the region and
resolve his matter with any of these leaders he is fighting.
"The progress of the Niger Delta region must be
paramount to him and not his personal interest.”
When contacted, a media aide to Akpabio told our
correspondent that the minister had nothing to do with the allegations and was
focused on attracting development to the Niger Delta region.
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