By Ishaya Ibrahim, News Editor
Rather than splattering mud on all and sundry, former governor of Delta State, Chief James Ibori, on Monday advised the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, “to please calm down and focus on the task at hand.”
Ibori, who gave the advice in respect of the allegation that he is one of those who benefited from the controversial Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) projects, said it was ridiculous for anyone to make such allegation and link him to the projects.
Akpabio had in a document attached to the letter he submitted to the Speaker, House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, on July 23, linked some emergency roads’ repair projects to Ibori.
But the former Delta State governor, in a statement by his Media Assistant, Tony Eluemunor, which was made available to TheNiche said the allegation was false.
The statement said, “He (Ibori) did not want to join in the ‘dance in the market square’ going on in the NDDC right now.
“He has decided to make this clarification for the records because friends and associates inundated him with phone calls this morning.
“So, he (Ibori) is stating categorically that he never solicited for, or was awarded, or indeed executed, any contract with NDDC or any government agency, at any time, for that matter.”
The statement added that Ibori has not been accused of being a government contractor since he left office as governor.
The statement read, “He (Ibori) has never been accused of being a government contractor, let alone a failed one hence he did not want to dignify the allegation with a response because it is ridiculous.
“So, Ibori is advising Akpabio, his brother, friend, and member of the former Governors Forum, to please calm down and focus on the task at hand.”
Ibori, according to the statement noted that the NDDC was a product of his personal sacrifice as well as those of his Niger Delta colleagues between 1999 and 2007.
He said the governors then rose to the occasion to override the veto of President Olusegun Obasanjo who refused to assent to the NDDC Bill at the time.
The statement added, “If not for the exemplary courage some of us exhibited, there would have not been an NDDC to bicker about today.
“Watching the level the NDDC has degenerated to, is a tragedy. We owe it a duty to the people of the Niger Delta to make NDDC work to ameliorate the sufferings of the people of the region and to realise the dream for which we fought for it to be set up.
“So, let everybody involved in the NDDC do their duties to the good people of the region.”