NDDC/NASS FACEOFF: GROUP ASKS AKPABIO, IMC TO RESIGN

A group of concerned youths in Delta State, under the auspices of Progressive Delta Youths (PDY) have called for the immediate resignation of the Niger Delta Affairs Minister, Godswill Akapabio and members of the Interim Management Committee of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) for their endless schemes to frustrate appearance before the National Assembly to clear themselves of several allegations of corruption leveled against them.

While responding to the latest of the media schemes being used by the NDDC team to avoid appearing before the investigative probe panel of the National Assembly; the group Coordinator, Comrade Komeh Nathaniel described both Akpabio and the IMC as the real enemies of the Niger Delta people.

In a reaction to the press release of what was described as a faceless and non-existing coalition of four nongovernmental organizations (NGO), the Progressive Delta Youths Coordinator dared the NDDC management to urgently publish the list of corrupt National Assembly members it claimed had been paid for contracts that were never executed if it truly it has such a list.

In a statement made available to newsmen in Warri on Monday, Comrade Komeh Nathaniel stated that it was quite clear now that both Akpabio and the IMC have so many things to hide. The release therefore stated that the fear of guilt has revealed the inability of NDDC team to muster the needed courage to go before the probe panel of the National Assembly and defend themselves of all corruption allegations.

The statement that was titled ‘Call For Immediate Resignation of Akpabio and IMC For Lacking The Moral Courage To Defend Themselves In The National Assembly of Monumental Corruption Allegations’ reads in part, “There have been several corruption allegations leveled against both Godswill Akpabio and the IMC members; yet they have chosen to spend billions of naira to frustrate their appearance before the investigative probe panel of the National Assembly rather than to toe the noble path of clearing their names.

“The latest 14 days ultimate given to the NASS Committees to drop the plan to probe the Interim Management Committee of the NDDC has confirmed the corruption allegations leveled against these individuals. A mere invitation to appear before an investigative probe panel for few days should have even been an opportunity for these people to prove their innocence if they do not have anything to hide.

“We challenge these people to immediately expose and report to the appropriate anti-corruption agencies any member of the National Assembly they claimed to have collected money for contracts that were never executed. Otherwise, these people should bury their heads in shame and immediately tender their resignation letters”.

While reacting to the claim of plan by members of the National Assembly to frustrate the ongoing forensic auditing of the Commission, the group stated that it was shameful that NDDC team have been hiding under the umbrella of forensic auditing to loot the Niger Delta Commission dry.

Moreso, on the threat of protest that would make the Niger Delta region to explode, the group also reacted, “We will like to make it abundantly clear that these are the real enemies of the Niger Delta region and they are prepared to go to any length to cover their dirty deals. The desperation of NDDC management to avoid appearing before the National Assembly probe panel has manifested in the planned protest.

“We are quite sure that the prohibitively expensive media war of propaganda that is being sponsored by the NDDC on instructions of Akpabio would be promptly stopped immediately if the National Assembly decides not to go ahead with its planned probe of the IMC and the minister. This is to us the more reason why all the good people of Niger Delta region should encourage the National Assembly never to shy away from implementing section 87 of Nigerian constitution which states that no agency of government is immune from the oversight responsibilities of the National Assembly”.