In Bayelsa State, a chieftain of President Muhammadu Buhari’s All Progressives Congress (APC), Reuben Wilson, a pastor has taken on Niger Delta Affairs Minister, Goodwill Akpabio. He is accusing the minister of running Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) like his private business.
Wilson is the promoter of Pastor Reuben Initiative for Good Leadership and Accountability (PRIFGLA), an APC support group. He made the allegation in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital while answering questions from reporters.
He is alleging that Akpabio, a suspected presidential aspirant, has refused to constitute the board because he wants to have total control of the Commission.
He condemned the high level of corruption going on in the NDDC and alleged that officials of the Commission make demands of 20% from contractors before payment could be made for jobs done.
Wilson is calling on President Buhari and all those in charge to constitute the board as a matter of urgency in order to serve the purpose of which the commission was set-up to achieve.
“Imagine contractors are being owed billions of Naira of work done. The forensic audit done too is yet to be made public.
“The Minister and Effiong Akwa are managing the commission as their own personal business. The NDDC to them is their father’s property they inherited ” Wilson said.
He commended the Interim Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Dikio Milliard for showing leadership since taking over, saying that he has been able to surmount the challenges and have put the programme in the right direction.
On the governance of Bayelsa State, Wilson claimed that it is only the APC government that can guarantee the rapid socio-economic development of Bayelsa because the programmes of the party were endorsed by the electorate.
He explained that a government at the state level that connects with the Federal Government can attract the needed development, adding that if the APC had governed the state there would have been a major transformation going on.
The APC stalwart noted that the bane of underdevelopment in Bayelsa is the lack of responsive and accountable leadership which the current administration lacks.
Wilson emphasised that only a credible and purposeful leader who loves and understands the feelings of the people can meet the yearnings and expectations of Bayelsa people.
“It is my utmost belief that APC taking over the government in Bayelsa will ensure rapid development.
“The APC has what it takes to enthrone the all-round transformation of the state. If the state and centre connect, the needed development will be experienced because of the synergy and collaboration between the centre and state.
“I came up with this initiative, the Pastor Reuben Initiative for Good Leadership and Accountability, (PRIFGLA) because of the dearth of good leadership.
“People left the party because they felt abandoned after the governorship election won convincingly by APC was truncated by the Supreme Court judgment.
“What we need in this state is good leadership, we need good leadership to drive the transformation of the state, and without good leadership we cannot achieve anything.
“That is why we are determined to bring all aggrieved leaders together in one fold so that we can take over Bayelsa come 2023 Governorship election. And by the grace of God we will work tirelessly to make sure APC takes over.
“We are putting things in place to make sure that structures are in place to mobilize support for the APC to return to the winning formula to repeat the feat achieved in the last guber polls.
“Right now some of our members are going from house to house, unit to unit, community to community and ward to ward to ensure that we talk to people to support our party to take over Bayelsa,” Wilson said.
