Leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bayelsa State have denied allegations of demanding for the sack of the Interim Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Maj-Gen, Barry Ndiomu (Rtd).
A former member of the National Assembly, Senator John Brambafia while speaking on behalf of the forum during a press conference held in Yenagoa, stated that those behind the call were not members of the APC Elders Forum in the state, and do not exist in any form.
He alleged that the non-existing group was sponsored to carry out the hatchet job because of the self-inflicting pain they are going through, and decided to make Ndiomu their target while playing the victim.
Countering the allegations by the media organization, Brambafia condemned the nebulous reasons the faceless group gave for seeking the sack of the amnesty boss
He said: “We wish to state unequivocally and unambiguously that there was no time the APC Elders forum in Bayelsa State took a decision to call for the sack of the Interim Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, as they always form an integral part of the various fora that make up the party in the state”, Brambaifa said.
Adding: “The members of APC in Bayelsa West Senatorial District maintain that the present PAP helmsman has created far-reaching impacts in the programme and has contributed significantly to the improvement of the party in the state with the sound reform measures so far taken to reposition the programme that was gradually cascading to a moribund state.
“The APC members express shock over the show of ingratitude by such a pseudo platform, as they failed to appreciate the progressive ideas initiated and implemented by the Interim Administrator to revamp the interventionist agency.”
The Bayelsa APC elders maintained that they were proud of the achievements of Ndiomu in only 10 months in office and will continue to support him to succeed.
They particularly commended his effort in introducing worthy and creative ideas like the Cooperative Scheme for ex-agitators, noting that it will produce the desired result for the benefit of all Niger Delta people.
According to the Bayelsa West APC stakeholders, “the establishment of a Cooperative Society will encourage hard work and agitators, which is in common work and deepen the rehabilitation and reintegration of the ex-agitators which is in consonance with the original intention of the programme.
“We therefore call on the APC-led federal government and the general public to disregard the said malicious news item, as it was borne out of insatiable appetite and greed for personal gains and deliberate show of discontentment towards the phenomenal improvement of the activities of the agency following the reform measures undertaken by the present Interim Administrator of the programme.
“We also use this medium to express our total support for the reform measures designed to reinvigorate the activities of the Presidential Amnesty Programme and, as a result, call on the federal government to retain the appointment of Major General Barry Tariye Ndiomu as the head of PAP in order to complete the ongoing reforms that will encourage multiplier effect in the Niger Delta with the concomitant peace that follows”, he stated.
