A group of Niger Delta Leaders have responded to what they described as a bunch of fiction being circulated in the media about alleged infractions committed at the Niger Delta Amnesty office. In a terse press statement signed by the convener Dr Ebiowei ThankGod and circulated to journalists in Yenagoa yesterday, the group known as Coalition for Niger Delta Cohesion (CNDC), dismissed those circulating the stories as desperate and virtual cowards who have no evidence to substantiate their bogus claims and have therefore remained anonymous.

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CNDC invites them to come forward with any evidence they have against the National Security Adviser and the Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Program or keep quiet.  According to the group, both the coordinator and the National Security Adviser have maintained a studied silence because they are aware that vigilant Nigerians especially stakeholders in the Niger Delta are discerning people who can see through the antics of these mischief-makers and their sponsors.

The statement partly reads:

Our attention has been drawn to the activities of faceless groups that are attempting to blackmail and disparage the National Security Adviser, General Mohammed Babagana Monguno and Prof Charles Dokubo on cases of imaginary fraud in the office of the Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Program.  “For many months these groups who lack the courage to come up in the open but who have continuously masked their identities have used the media to circulate alleged infractions committed in their putrid imagination at the office. The so-called 1.8 billion naira contract allegedly awarded to the National Security Adviser is obviously a clear concoction and wicked lie from the pit of hell. Those who know the NSA know that he is a man of integrity whose reputation is impervious to cheap propaganda. In another fiction, they have tried many times to drag the name of the coordinator to what they allege as looting in Kaiama. The incident in Kaiama has long been investigated by the police and the report is available in the public domain.

The statement further brought the attention of the public to the unsubstantiated and misleading references to the American government by these imaginary groups. According to CNDC, many US groups have continued to commend how the tenure of Prof Dokubo has led to sustained peace and stability in the Niger Delta region which had impacted positively in Nigeria’s domestic economy. Furthermore, for the avoidance of doubt, the group affirmed that Charles Quaker Dokubo is an accomplished academic with verifiable records who has never been involved in anything shady or convicted in any court of law throughout his illustrious career. The Niger Delta group finally cautioned those who are interested in occupying public offices to try to pursue their aspirations without spreading mud unnecessarily on innocent people.

It will be recalled the Prof Charles Dokubo held a well-attended session at the International Institute of Strategic Studies (IISS) in London on the 27th of February which was attended by respected actors with the United Kingdom policy arena. Rather than acknowledge the contribution of this towering academic for engaging relevant international partners to support the amnesty program, another faceless group started circulating an alleged video that the coordinator had bribed the President, his late Chief of staff and the National Security Adviser. Such childish display of desperation and pettiness was targeted at diverting public attention from the verifiable contribution of Prof. Charles Dokubo which has received several international accolades.

Vanguard