A Niger Delta group, Niger Delta Amalgamated Youths Forum (NDAYF), has thumbed down former militants over their alleged plans to discredit the Minister of Niger Delta and former governor of Akwa Ibom state, Godswill Akpabio, over a N1.9 billion water hyacinth project.
According to the group, the ex-militants had, through its spokesman, General Ebi, accused Akpabio and the Managing Director of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) of appropriating 400 and 300 slots, respectively, of the water hyacinth to themselves.
The group further stated that the ex-militants also said only 100 slots were allocated to the youth, in an empowerment scheme meant to benefit the youth of the Niger Delta.
Leader of the NDAYF, Dr. John Williams, who stated these in a statement issued Thursday in Abuja, added, “it is unfortunate to discredit a man, who played a fatherly role in resolving the issue of payment of the water hyacinth with the NDDC.”
Williams urged the public to ignore the “blackmail against the person of Akpabio,” saying that the public should “disregard the blatant lies that the Honourable minister collected 400 water hyacinth and the acting MD collected 300 and the balance shared among the directors.”
According to Williams, Akpabio “has not done anything wrong by intervening in the crisis and also directing the NDDC to pay for the project.”
The group insisted that Nigerians should ignore those trying to drag the name of Akpabio in the mud all in the name for selfish gains.
On what actually transpired, the director of environment at NDDC, Boniface Sese, who compiled the list, said the allegation against Akpabio was false.
Sese said, “The only role played by Akpabio in the water hyacinth project was to intervene and direct the MD to pay for the project. The former governor didn’t get any slot; he was not the one that awarded the contracted. I was the one that compiled the list and I can authoritatively tell you that Akpabio didn’t get anything; he only intervened and asked the NDDC MD to pay for the contract that was executed.”
