Nathan Tamarapreye, Yenagoa
The Movement for the Survival of the Izon Ethnic Nationality in the Niger Delta, (MOSIEND), has asked the Minister of the Niger Delta Affairs, Sen. Godswill Akpabio to resign for lack of performance.
MOSIEND regretted that Akpabio has betrayed the hopes and expectations that heralded the announcement of his appointment as Minister in charge of Niger Delta and said that the minister was not representing the interest of the region.
The group said that Akpabio is of no value to the Niger Delta people, adding that the Minister’s lack of transparency, high handedness, underperformance, and treacherous manner of managing the NDDC for the past two years can be described as the worst in recent times.
MOSIEND made its position known in a statement by its National Secretary, Amb. Amain Winston Cotterel was made available to newsmen on Wednesday in Yenagoa.
The group described Sen. Akpabio’s tenure as minister of Niger Delta is fraught with gross misappropriation when compared with his predecessors.
MOSIEND noted that the region has not witnessed any tangible infrastructure or sustainable policy framework that is targeted at promoting socio-economic sustainability and infrastructural development.
“It is of note that from 2019 till date the NDDC has received well over N799 billion, from 2019 budget to 2020 budget, yet, the region still suffers gross underdevelopment with nothing to show for the huge sum.
“This is the first time that the presidency is giving full powers to the ministry to supervise the NDDC.
“It could be recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019 formally transmitted a letter to the minister of Niger Delta, giving him the full power to supervise the commission.
“This is a move that is targeted at accelerating development and democratic dividend if Sen. Akpabio was a sincere fellow.
“Sen. Akpabio’s reckless abandonment of the region for his selfish and personal gain can no longer be tolerated.
“Hence, MOSIEND is liaising with other sister organisations who share the same opinion and are tired of the impunity of the minister to continue to syphon the ministry and the region with every means necessary at its beck and call.
“MOSIEND is going to engage all known forms of civil disobedience to compel Sen. Akpabio to resign.
“As it is now, the most important move to salvage the Niger Delta is to ensure that Akpabio resigns without being butted out of office for his own good.
“Akpabio’s manipulative tendency is becoming unbearable; his move to create disaffection among groups and disorganize the region if not checked will cause a breakdown of law and order soonest.
“We wonder why the security agencies, like the DSS, are not furnishing the presidency of the tension brewing in the region as a result of the unnecessary delay in constituting aboard for the NDDC.
“To our brothers who go by the name Frontline ex-agitators, or ex-freedom fighters, who have stooped so low to bootlick for a paltry amount of money, mortgaging the development of the region by encouraging Sen. Akpabio to do selfish bidding, that whatever happens in this region you should also be blamed.
“It is an eyesore how our brothers that were once respected have cultivated the habit of hobnobbing with the minister and continue to encourage him to adopt all kinds of ulterior practices in an attempt to pocket the commission.
“This we will disallow, and we will be disquiet about it, we vehemently oppose the fifth columnist approach adopted by Sen. Akpabio to milk the region dry,” MOSIEND stated.
The group called on President Muhammadu Buhari to rise to the occasion and appoint a substantive board that is independent of Akpabio’s manipulation to show the people of the region that he means well for them.
“Akpabio’s tenure as minister of Niger Delta is the worst recorded so far, a stitch in time saves nine; make hay while the sun shines.
“The youth of the Niger Delta should not be blamed if they decide to take the laws into their hand in a course to compel the federal government to do the needful.
“They need not be arrested nor embarrassed by the security agents who by themselves are culpable of keeping silent and not transmitting true correspondence of the situation of the region to Mr. president for prompt action.
“For the paltry amount of money, they keep mortgaging the development of the region by encouraging Sen. Akpabio to do a selfish bidding, that whatever happens in this region you should also be blamed,” MOSIEND concluded.