The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) pioneer national publicity/organizing secretary, Senator Anietie Okon, has again warned the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, to steer clear of South-south governors’ politics.
Senator Okon, who took exception to Akpabio’s recent alleged insult on the governors, warned the minister against further indulgence in such utterances.
The minister had recently berated the governors saying they lack the moral grounds to dictate how the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) funds should be used.
The immediate past governor of Akwa Ibom had told them to focus instead on ensuring that local governments in their respective states have elected executives and not caretaker committees.
But in a swift reaction Monday, the Senator dismissed Akpabio’s advice and described the minister’s warning as mischievous and ill-conceived.
He warned Akpabio to desist from his known antics of misinterpreting the genuine advice made by the South-south governors, noting that it was in the overall interest of people of the region.
“I feel disappointed at Godswill Akpabio’s posturing that the governors of the South- south were in no position to issue directives to President Buhari on how to run the Niger Delta Development Commission.
“This utterance amongst others paints an indelible picture of a minister whose actions and inactions portray a grim indication of an absence of concern for the well-being of the Niger-Delta region. To put the record straight, no South-south governor issued directives or an authoritative instruction to President Buhari.
“I support the governors of the South-south states’ demand for an upward review of the provision of 2.5 per cent as Host Community Trust Fund in the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) to 10 per cent in the best interest of oil communities and the nation.
“They only made demands for the betterment of their respective states and region regarding the effective and efficient management of the NDDC wherein the development and prosperity of the region has lost its course. And the governor’s demand was properly expressed, it is a justified demand.
“Regrettably, we are in a country where unity, peace and progress unfortunately hang in disequilibrium, where governments of the federation units are forced to pick up the baton of responsibilities neglected by an unhinged federal government”.
