Two pan-Niger Delta groups, Patriotic Forum of Niger Delta (PAFOND) and Niger Delta Indigenous People Network (NDIPN) have appealed to the House of Representatives not to treat the allegations of complicity against some of its members by the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, with levity.
Rising from an emergency National Executive Council (NEC) held in Port Harcourt on Sunday, the groups urged the House to stop what they perceived as one sided probe, but rather address the serious allegations of corruption levelled against some members of the National Assembly.
In a communique issued at the end of the meeting signed by the National Chairman of PAFOND, Owo Udoh and National Coordinator of NDIPN, Daniel Wilson, the groups averred that the issues at hand are of national interest, adding that there should be no sacred cows to be spared.
“We also urge all those blackmailing the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio to desist from it and support the Minister to complete the forensic audit of NDDC for the interest of Niger Delta”, they pleaded while asserting that the region has remained backward for over 20 years despite trillions allegedly sunk into the NDDC.
The groups also urged President Buhari to ignore calls for the suspension of Senator Akpabio and scrapping of the NDDC.
According to them, “The Minister should be allowed to continue delivering on his good mandate in the supervision of the NDDC for development of the NDDC, as he is competent and has the magic ability to turn around the fortune of the region”.
They vowed ‘not to fold their hands on any attempt by persons or group that want to subvert the good intension of Senator Godswill Akpabio and President Buhari’s overall interest of Niger Delta people’.
