Ex-militant leaders lambast colleague over attack on Akpabio

A group of ex-militant leaders, under the aegis of the Niger Delta Movement for Development (NDMD), has taken a swipe at Ebikabowei Victor-Ben, popularly called Boyloaf, over his recent verbal attacks on the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio.

The Convener of NDMD, Victor Mathew, who described the comments credited to Boyloaf against the former Akwa Ibom State governor as a tissue of lies, saying he was being sponsored by enemies of the region to pull down the minister.

He said Boyloaf should settle his personal problems with Akpabio, instead of allowing persons who never meant well for the region to use him.

Boyloaf had, in a media report, said apart from the Interim Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Col. Milland Dikio (rtd), other federal appointees from the Niger Delta are playing politics with the region’s development.

He particularly carpeted Akpabio, saying he had turned his ministry and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) into Akwa Ibom State Government House extension.

But his former comrades in arms described the comments as “uncharitable, irresponsible and unbecoming of an ex-agitator.”
Mathew, in a statement made available to journalists in Yenagoa, said Akpabio’s towering performance had become a nightmare for some persons who had recruited the likes of Boyloaf to tarnish his image.

According to him, Akpabio’s insistence on pursuing the completion of abandoned critical projects in the region has pitched him against some people, who rather want him to share the money meant for such projects.

Mathew asked Boyloaf to tender unreserved apology to Akpabio for associating the minister with tribalism and claiming that his ministry and the NDDC had become an extension of Akwa Ibom Government House.