Niger Delta Militant group, the Reformed Niger Delta Avengers, RNDA, have sent a protest letter to President Muhammadu Buhari over alleged moves by the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio to appoint his stooge as a Sole Administrator (SA) to oversee the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) with a threat to burn the commission’s building in Port Harcourt if the minister have his way.
According to the RNDA, “Senator Godswill Akpabio has gambled with the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) for too long, and we will not take it any more. Akpabio’s recent actions and lobby to approve the re-appointment of his brother from Akwa Ibom State, the current Executive Director of Finance and Administration of the NDDC(EDFA), Mr Akwa Effiong Okon as the Sole Administrator to oversee the NDDC commission excluding the appointment of EDP and EDFA is a provocative and devilish act and could trigger a new round of violence along the creeks of the region.
According to the RNDA, in a statement issued and signed by the self-styled Commanding Officer of RNDA, Major Gen Johnmark Ezonebi, also known as OBAMA, “if the approval is given for the appointment of his cousin from Akwa Ibom State who is the current Executive Director of Finance and Administration, Mr Akwa Effiong Okon as the Sole Administrator, the nine militant groups will be forced to review its earlier position on ceasefire and commence renewed hostilities against oil facilities in the region.”
According to the RNDA, “we have declared that we are against Akpabio’s recent actions and this time around there will be no going back. We, members of the RNDA, are sending President Muhammadu Buhari our protest letter against Senator Akpabio’s ‘one man show’ and plot to appoint a Sole Administrator to oversee the NDDC with his brother, Mr Akwa Effiong Okon from Akwa Ibom State, the current Executive Director Of Finance & Administration to be re appointed.
“The appointment of a Sole Administrator without the appointment of an EDP and EDFA in the commission is just to enable Akpabio to siphon, divert and embezzle billions into his pocket from the recoverd billions by EFCC which President Buhari directed to be returned to the commission. That is the fund Mr Akpabio is plotting to embezzle and divert into his personal pocket with his brother if appointed as the Sole Administrator.
“If Akpabio is allowed to bribe the villa and have his way and announce the name of Mr Effiong Okon, the present EDFA as the Sole Administrator to oversee the NDDC excluding the appointment of EDP & EDFA, then the RNDA will be left with no option than to declare total war in the creek to cripple the economy and we will also announce operation zero crude oil to flow in the creek of Niger Delta.
“With this singular reason we advise multinational oil companies operating in the Creeks of the Niger Delta region to evacuate their workers on rigs, platforms and manifolds and we will close down all the oil wells and flow stations and will cut down the Escravos-Warri-Kaduna gas pipeline that transmits gas to Abuja.”
The group also vowed that every illegality must stop and will be resisted, heavily with any means necessary. It therefore called on President Buhari to act now before it will be too late.
“And as we speak enough is enough of this continuous illegality and if Mr President fold his hands to allow this form of corruption and devilish act to continue without acting and without doing anything then we the RNDA with the dreaded Strike Force Unit of RNDA in the creek will not fold our arms and keep quiet and we will not allow this to happen again this time around and we want to let Akpabio know that he and his fellow bidders in the villa will fail woefully as they cannot enslave the people of the Niger Delta any longer. We will fight him to standstill with the last drop of our blood in the creek.
“And we warn again seriously that if Mr President fold his hands and allow this to happen then we will assume that he is an enemy to the people of the Niger Delta and as much as he continues to maintain his integrity and does not want to be an enemy to the people of Niger Delta it is high time he should call Akpabio to order in the interest of peace in the once troubled region. If not, we will go ahead with our proposed plan and we will visit Port Harcourt and burn down the entire NDDC building.
“Furthermore, RNDA wants to state clearly that Mr President and the presidency should hold Akpabio responsible for whatever that will befall destruction of oil pipelines and oil facilities to shutdown production of crude oil and attack on the Escravos-Warri- Kaduna gas major line. Mr President should hold Senator Akpabio and his cronies and fellow bidders responsible and should not blame the RNDA on this issue for whatever fall out in the creek.
The group also called on President Buhari to be wary of Akpabio over his alleged move to re appoint Mr Akwa Effiong Okon the present EDFA as Sole Administrator to oversee the NDDC excluding the office of EDP & EDFA that will cause more harm to the economy that is already in recession because the appointment is not in the interest of the Niger Delta people.
“Mr President and the villa should know that Akpabio is not popular and cannot withstand this battle because he and his family including his fellow cronies will not be spared in this battle because we know all his properties and his fellow cronies properties are located across the country.
“The RNDA has been sacrificing their lives in support of this President Muhammadu Buhari led APC federal government due to his integrity and the courage to fight corruption in the country. But in this case we have warned and will not support any illegality and we will not fold our arms and allow just one man called Akpabio to enslave the oil and gas producing community people that are suffering in the Creeks of the Niger Delta and Akpabio should know that it is the oil producing communities’ funds that is used in funding the NDDC and therefore he cannot continue to enslave the people any more.
“And the RNDA has warned and there is no going back this time around and we have already directed that our Strike Force Unit is to be on red alert in the Creek to kick start blowing up all oil facilities and to bring down the major crude oil pipelines and cut down the ESCRAVOS-Warri- Kaduna gas pipeline that transmit gas to Abuja.”
The statement further reads, “The RNDA want to remind Akpabio that NDDC was created in the year 2000 out of bloodshed and militancy agitation in other to address the under developmental challenges confronting the people of the oil rich region, and Akpabio’s father, mother, sisters, brothers and his children were not involved in the agitation that led to the creation of NDDC so he should not push us to the wall because if he goes ahead to inaugurate only Mr Akwa Effiong Okon the present EDFA to oversee the commission without including EDP & EDFA then we will bring down the NDDC building in Port Harcourt.”
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