TheHILL | POLITICS | JULY 26, 2021.
A good governance advocacy group, Niger Delta Forum for Transparency, Equity and Justice has raised an alarm over an orchestrated plot to launch smear campaign against the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio.
The Group in a statement in Port Harcourt signed by the Coordinator, Barrister Kenneth Adagogo and Secretary, Comrade Ambrose Komie said the Group uncovered the plot at the weekend where those behind the smear campaign had concluded plans to deploy the media in publishing series of falsehood to portray the Senator Akpabio in bad light before the unsuspecting members of the public.
According to the Niger Delta Advocacy Group, they were in possession of credible intelligence that in the next few days the media will be flooded by sponsored commentaries, concocted voice and video messages by those who see Senator Akpabio as a threat to their political ambition and those who had in the past looted the resources meant for the development of the Niger Delta region.
“We are aware that some Politicians have procured the services of a lawyer who is a serial blackmailer and bankroll him to pollute the public space with some concocted video messages. Part of their game plan is to release these series of messages to portray Senator Akpabio as a Political leader who cannot be trusted.
“We are also aware of the plot by other selfish politicians in the Niger Delta to organize some misguided youths to embark on politically motivated protests to portray Senator Akpabio as someone who does not mean well for the people of the Niger Delta region. Nothing could be further from the truth.
“Under the supervision of Senator Akpabio, the people of the Niger Delta region have seen the completion of the headquarters complex of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) which was abandoned for over 24 years. Senator Akpabio has also brought in renewed commitment towards the completion of the long abandoned East-West road which has seen the contractors back to site and working assiduously to meet the 2022 completion dateline. We believe the Minister deserves the support of patriotic Niger Deltans and not an orchestrated campaign to pull him down,” the group asserted.
The Group said they would not sit idly by and watch this set of selfish and unpatriotic people dent the hard earned reputation of Senator Akpabio who as Governor, Senator and Minister has contributed immensely to the infrastructural development of the Niger Delta.
The Forum said majority of the well-meaning people of the Niger Delta region were solidly behind Senator Akpabio to see through the forensic audit and set up a new board as promised by President Muhammadu Buhari. The Group said subsequently they would expose those behind the plot if they do not retrace their steps but are still bent on plunging the region into avoidable crises to achieve their selfish ambitions.
