Urhobo Nationality Council, UNC

The President, Federal Republic of Nigeria

Muhammadu Buhari

Aso Villa

Abuja

Sir,

OUR POSITION ON DR. EMMANUEL IBE KACHIKWU AS MINISTERIAL NOMINEE

We, members of the aforestated political pressure group commend your strategic policy which is tailored towards diversifying the economy via investing in the Agricultural and Solid Minerals Sectors.

The ongoing restructuring of the Oil and Gas Sector, which has seen the NNPC publishing its income as well as expenditure, is obvious testament of your administration’s resolve to tackle corruption, block leakages and place high premium on accountability.

Your Excellency, because of our belief in you which was borne out of your antecedents over the years, we solidly worked for your election as well as those of other APC candidates in the  March 28, 2015/ April 11, 2015 general elections and have consistently canvassed support for your policies and programmes.

Mr. President, in as much as we strongly believe in the APC Change Philosophy, which your administration is anchored on, permit us to state that the obvious change at the Federal level needs to trickle down to the State and Local Government levels.

Members of our group sacrificed everything in the face of mounting opposition to work for all APC candidates, particularly Delta State APC gubernatorial candidate, Olorogun O’tega Emerhor .

Sir, in as much as our loyalty and commitment towards building the APC structure in Delta State alongside other members of the party remain unshaken, permit us to express our strong reservation on what we consider an oversight, which favours Delta North Senatorial District  to the disadvantage of Delta Central and Delta South Senatorial districts, especially the Urhobo ethnic Nationality. The Urhobo Nation is the fourth largest ethnic group in Nigeria as well as a major contributor to the Nation’s economy as a result of the large deposit of Oil and Gas in our land.

Mr. President, it is common knowledge that the new Group Managing Director of NNPC cum Ministerial Nominee, Dr. Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu, the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, is from Delta North Senatorial district, the same district the State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa hails from. Sir, it may also interest you to know that Dr. Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu’s sibling, Dumebi Kachikwu is a close associate of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa and Acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Mr. Uche Secondus. Mr. Dumebi Kachikwu worked assiduously for the emergence of Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa as Governor of Delta State, this perhaps explains why Ibe Kachikwu’s appointment as NNPC GMD and now Ministerial Nominee met no resistance from the PDP led Delta State government unlike the case of ex-governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State and Alhaji Lai Mohammed of Kwara State.

We dare to say that the NNPC GMD is not a member of the APC, let alone worked for the party in the historic task of defeating the PDP at the centre.

Mr. President, your resolve to run a Pan Nigerian administration makes it even more imperative to carry other parts of Delta State along and thus it has become vitally important to stress that the manner of appointments so far which neglects Delta Central and Delta South with particular reference to the Urhobos of Delta State will kill the All Progressives Congress, APC in the State and give the unpopular PDP undue advantage against the wishes of majority of Deltans.

The on-going appointments skewed in favour of Delta North are capable of frustrating the APC leadership in Delta State. Some of the leaders, including the party’s gubernatorial candidate, Olorogun O’tega Emerhor, the Senatorial candidates (Delta South and Central) and the likes of Hon. Temi Harriman who sacrificed their lives for the victory of the APC need to be carried along in the quest to build a new Nigeria. Dr. Ibe Kachikwu should go beyond  seeing himself as a technocrat to a party man without compromising his position to save APC in Delta State from obvious oppression

Your Excellency, we strongly appeal to you as a matter of urgency and necessity to address our plea with a view to giving the Urhobo Nation in general a sense of belonging in your administration and encourage APC members in Delta State who are spending their time and resources in building the APC structure in the State.

Signed:

Ovoke  Omagbemi Ejoba                              Progress Omo-Agege

Vice President                                               Secretary

Cc:

The National Chairman

All Progressives Congress, APC

The Delta State Chairman

All Progressives Congress, APC

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