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By Amos Odeh, Yenagoa
‘No Rift between Sylva, Akpabio over NDDC Board’
By Amos Odeh, Yenagoa
The minister of state for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, has denied the existence of a rift between him and the minister for Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio.
This was contained in a press statement signed by Julius Bokoru, special adviser, Media and Public Affairs to the minister of state, for Petroleum Resources.
According to the statement, the minister said his attention had been drawn to a publication suggesting that a row exists between him and Senator Godswill Akpabio, minister for Niger Delta Affairs, over the formation of a substantive Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
Sylva further frowned at the idea that he “is attempting to truncate the chances of certain individuals from being managing director of the region’s apex interventionist body.
“The story is false and nothing more than a string of poorly thought-out and poorly crafted lies that should be totally disregarded and discarded,” he said.
The minister of state for Petroleum Resources stressed that he has maintained excellent relations with Senator Akpabio through the years, and that the two of them “consider themselves brothers and comrades in the quest of building a more prosperous Niger Delta and a stronger Nigeria.”
The statement further said that Sylva is currently hosting the Nigeria International Petroleum Summit (NIPS), adding that while he has the development of the Niger Delta at heart, he is not fixated on who becomes who in the formation of the NDDC board. He rather hopes and prays that for the sake of the development of the region, competent, committed, compassionate and patriotic people get appointed.
“The architects of that story conveniently forgot to mention that the appointment of the NDDC executive members is strictly the prerogative of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“The fake, divisive article was intended to create anxiety in the Niger Delta region to the desperate ends of its sponsors which is to create needless tension and chaos.
“The public is thereby advised to disregard that report as it is totally untrue, malicious and engineered purely for mischief,” he said.
Sylva said he will continue building harmony amongst Niger Delta leaders, and will attract even more development to the region as he is doing as well as keep working towards a more peaceful South-South region.
