The attention of H.E Timipre Sylva, Honourable Minister of State for Petroleum Resources is drawn to a publication purporting a row with Senator Godswill Akpabio, Honourable Minister for Niger Delta Affairs, over the formation of a substantive Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). The story also imagines that Sylva 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.
Sylva has maintained excellent relations with Senator Akpabio through the years. The duo consider themselves brothers and comrades in the quest of building a more prosperous Niger Delta and a stronger Nigeria.
Sylva is currently hosting the Nigeria International Petroleum Summit (NIPS) and 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.
Sylva will continue building harmony amongst Niger Delta leaders, the Honourable Minister will attract even more develoment to the region as he is doing and will keep working towards a more peaceful South-South region.