Niger Delta chiefs pass vote of confidence on Akpabio, want him to join presidential race

Leadership of the Niger Delta Council of Chiefs have passed a vote of confidence on the Minister of the Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, for his leadership qualities which they claimed has brought a breath of fresh air into the management of the Niger Delta Development Commission, (NDDC).

The Council, an umbrella body of all gazetted traditional Chiefs in the Niger Delta region, while commending President Muhammadu Buhari for the confidence reposed in Akpabio, urged leaders and stakeholders in the region to be patient with the Minister and President Buhari in the inauguration of the new NDDC board.

The Council in a statement by its National Chairman, Chief Mathias Efe Olowu, noted that no time is too much in an attempt to repair and reposition NDDC considering the damage that has been done to the commission over the years.

According to him, “the council urges our brother and sister in the region to be patient with the Minister and President Buhari in the inauguration of the board.

“No time is too much to put things right in the commission because, it’s much easier to destroy than build.

“The years it has taken to destroy the commission can’t be quantified with what the Minister is using to reposition the commission’s management system for effective delivery on their mandates to the Niger Delta people.

“So, please, let’s be patient with the honourable Minister, Senator Akpabio who means well for the region and has demonstrated the capacity of unparalleled love to the region.

The Council also called on Senator Godswill Akpabio to consider joining the presidential race in order for the Niger Delta to complete their second tenure and restore the region’s socio-political place in the federation.

According to the group, “we are making this call because the first tenure of a Niger Deltans in the presidency was a wasted year, as such, we Niger Deltans must bring forth our best in the region, which is Senator Godswill Akpabio, to give us effective leadership.

Chief Olowu thanked Akpabio for the continued running and delivery of the mandate of the Commission despite no board; especially in the “payment of contractors which the board awarded and refused to pay.

“Sponsorship of the overseas students of Niger Delta origin and completion of projects abandoned by the tenure of boards across the region.”