By Some Ogenyi, Uyo
A youth group, the Niger Delta Youth Movement, NDYM, has said that it would resist any attempt to demonize the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio and cause civil unrest in the Niger Delta region.
In a statement yesterday in Uyo by its National President and National Secretary, Comrade Joe Jackson and Comrade Joshua Osamuiyi respectively, the NDYM said they believe in the capacity of Akpabio to bring sanity in the Niger Delta Development Commission.
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NDYM stressed that Akpabio’s capability was evident in the quality road networks, other infrastructures, free and compulsory education ,regular grants to primary and secondary schools’ heads, Four-Point by Sheraton Hotel, among other remarkable achievement he recorded as governor of Akwa Ibom.
“The Niger Delta Youth Movement views the unjustified excoriation of the Minister for Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio by some persons as undeserving and unpatriotic.
“The Movement, in consultation with the leadership of other well meaning organizations notes the campaign of calumny orchestrated by fifth columnists in the the Niger Delta region and their collaborators outside the region.
“We, therefore, make bold to state that any attempt to demonize the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs in order to cause stampede and civil unrest in the region shall be stoutly resisted.
“NDYM is aware that President Buhari and indeed the federal government means well for our region and we are also aware that the task of repositioning the Niger Delta will not be a tea party and as a result have decided to throw our weight behind the effort of Senator Godswill Akpabio in clearing the cobweb of sleaze and slime from the NDDC through Forensic Audit.
“Therefore, we salute the goodwill of our compatriots from other regions and urge all youth groups in the region to, as a matter of patriotism support this laudable initiative of President Mohammadu Buhari and the Minister for Niger Delta Affairs”
NDYM added that they support the decision of President Mohammadu Buhari to give Akpabio the onerous task of supervising and repositioning the NDDC for aggressive development of the Niger Delta.
The group however urged the National Assembly committees investigating the NDDC to exhibit the highest level of patriotism in handling the affairs the probe irrespective of alleged involvement of some of its members in the NDDC matter.
“It is pertinent to also seriously advise that the forensic audit team should be time conscious in doing a clinical job since the incoming board and management should not be burdened by the challenges of pursuing errant contractors whose documents may have been muddled up by a compromised system.
“We also use this opportunity to urge that the audit team should go the extra mile in setting a template for transparent financial operations of the commission going forward.
“We wish to reassure President Mohammadu Buhari and his government that the youths of the Niger Delta Region shall support and stand by all programmes, projects and policies geared towards the genuine development of the people and region.” The statement said.
