Emerging Leaders Forum of Nigeria (ELFON) has expressed its displeasure over plans by some state’s enemies to scuttle the nation’s hard earned democracy and the fight against corruption campaign which is one of main agenda of the Buhari led administration.
ELFON President, Rt. Hon. Godstime Chukwubuikem let this out while briefing newsmen on topical national issues on Sunday in Abuja.
Chukwubuikem said, the Constitutional action embarked on behalf of Nigerians, by members of the National Assembly, to probe the NDDC over the Commission’s alleged financial misappropriation of the nation’s collective wealth is a welcome development stating that, anyone against it has a “skeleton in his or her cupboard” and wants to divert public attention.
His words: “We are fully in support of forensic auditing of activities in NDDC. In the same vein, we encourage the National Assembly probe panel to continue with her probe measures in exposing corrupt practices in NDDC.
“We condemn every action that tend to intimidate Members of the House Committee and the witness as invited to give evidence before it, having the case of Joy Nunieh been a very good example.
“How do Niger Deltans and Nigeria reconcile the report that NDDC MD Prof Podei was proud to say they used ₦10Billion to take care of themselves as palliatives. We are shocked at the nauseating courage of spending huge public funds without budget and approval and had the effrontery to tell Nigerians that they spent it to take care of themselves.”
ELFON added that the scholarship funds traced to the account of one of the Executive Directors should be returned immediately.
“When did he become CBN? More painful is the fact that he also collected estacode for a journey never made.
Worried that a whooping sum of ₦86M was collected in pretence of attending seminars during COVID period when there were no flight operations.
“One wonders if he is a witch and if he did travel in the realm of the Spirit during this period. Nigerians are not fools.
“If Senator Godswill Akpabio and his instituted Interim Management Committee of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) are confident that their hands are clean, they should make themselves available to the National Assembly probe panel rather than grandstanding and sponsoring youth groups for cheap propaganda and protest as confirmed by intelligence available to us.
The group called on the Minister of Niger Delta to honourably step aside and also called on the President to apply the Public Service rule and suspend Senator Akpabio to give room for an unhindered Investigation by the National Assembly as in the case of Magu. There should be no selective Justice, ELFON added.
The group also commended the Federal Government for steps taken to open Schools and to Conduct WAEC in September, and urged the government to shun the call by ASUU to shut schools till 2021.
The full Press Release read as follows;
PRESS CONFERENCE HELD TODAY, 19th JULY, 2020 IN ABUJA BY EMERGING LEADERS FORUM OF NIGERIA (ELFON)
Emerging Leaders Forum of Nigeria (ELFON) today the 19th day of July, 2020 expresses our displeasure on plans to scuttle democracy in Nigeria and the fight against corruption campaign.
- That the Constitutional action embarked on behalf of Nigerians, by members of the National Assembly, to probe the NDDC over the Commission’s alleged financial misappropriation of our collective wealth is a welcome development. Any one against it has a “skeleton in his or her cupboard” and wants to divert public attention.
- We are fully in support of forensic auditing of activities in NDDC. In the same vein, we encourage the National Assembly probe panel to continue with her probe measures in exposing corrupt practices in NDDC.
- We condemn every action that tend to intimidate Members of the House Committee and the witness as invited to give evidence before it, having the case of Joy Nunieh been a very good example.
- How do Niger Deltans and Nigeria reconcile the report that NDDC MD Prof Podei was proud to say they used ₦10Billion to take care of themselves as palliatives. We are shocked at the nauseating courage of spending huge public funds without budget and approval and had the effrontery to tell Nigerians that they spent it to take care of themselves.
- The scholarship funds traced to the account of one of the Executive Directors should be returned immediately. When did he become CBN? More painful is the fact that he also collected estacode for a journey never made.
Worried that a whooping sum of ₦86M was collected in pretence of attending seminars during COVID period when there were no flight operations. One wonders if he is a witch and if he did travel in the realm of the Spirit during this period. Nigerians are not fools. - If Senator Godswill Akpabio and his instituted Interim Management Committee of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) are confident that their hands are clean, they should make themselves available to the National Assembly probe panel rather than grandstanding and sponsoring youth groups for cheap propaganda and protest as confirmed by intelligence available to us.
- We call on the Minister of Niger Delta to honourably step aside, otherwise we call on the President to apply the Public Service rule and suspend Senator Akpabio to give room for an unhindered Investigation by the National Assembly as in the case of Magu. There should be no selective Justice.
- On behalf of Nigerian Youths, we commend the FG for steps taken to open Schools and to Conduct WAEC in September, and urge her to shun the call by ASUU to shut schools till 2021.
Thank you and God bless Nigeria.
Signed,
Rt. Hon. Godstime Chukwubuikem Samuel
National President -ELFON
