The Presidential Support Committee (PSC) has called on the minister of the Niger Delta, Senator Godswill Akpabio to stop parading himself as its national coordinator.
According to the group, its attention was drawn to a purported publication credited to Senator Godswill Akpabio as its national coordinator.
A statement jointly issued by the national chairman and founder, Presidential Support Committee (PSC) Hon Gideon Samani and director, media and publicity, Dr Engineer Kailani Muhammad, the group said Akpabio is not the national coordinator of the organisation.
“He has been suspended since June, 2021, for inactivity, lack of good leadership style and effective management, and the suspension is not yet lifted.
“PSC is a support group that was initiated by a seasoned politician, Rt. Hon. Gideon Samani and was galvanised into action with strong support of notable politicians, technocrats, patriotic citizens and seasoned administrators, with the goal of working for the success of All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidate, President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019.
“It has membership and structures across all the 36 states of the federation, 774 local government areas as well as Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory.
“At an expanded meeting in June last year, the organisation had thoroughly reviewed its activities as well as the performance of its leaders, where it found Senator Akpabio the then national coordinator, short of measuring up to its standards and therefore handed down an indefinite suspension to him, for his lack of good leadership style, ineffective management and inactivity that will move the organisation forward,” the group added.
It said the organisation has equally removed the moles within its rank, who it noted are people that were identified to be working underground to subvert the organisation and divide its members for their selfish interests.
It said the group has fully rebranded, with committed and forward looking leaders under the able leadership of Gideon Samani, adding that the task before the organisation now, is to face the challenges of working for the emergence of the most credible successor of President Buhari in 2023, hence it would not condone any distraction from anybody.
“To our dismay however, Senator Akpabio, who is a serving Minister of the Ministry for Niger Delta, and was suspended for inactivity and poor leadership in June last year, is brimming to cause disharmony by supporting and promoting divisive elements glaringly working for him in order to cause disaffection among PSC members and its leadership.
“As far as PSC is concerned, the indefinite suspension order handed down to Senator Akpabio, has not been lifted and it can only be lifted by an expanded gathering of PSC stakeholders that approved the suspension. So far, the organization is yet to hold such an expanded meeting to review the suspension order, hence the minister remained suspended.
“As a person occupying a very critical ministry, the minister should desist from parading himself as PSC National Coordinator, or using some moles and political jobbers to divide the organisation. He should not sink so low by intruding into the affairs of PSC, which he has no stake whatsoever,” the group added.
According to the statement, the group respects the office of the Minister of the Federal Republic and also expect the minister to take his assignment seriously, adding that he should devote more time and attention to the development of Niger Delta region.
“Therefore, instead of dwelling into the affairs of PSC, which he has no stake at the moment, the minister should focus more on how to make Niger Delta Region a better place by supporting President Muhammadu Buhari to realise his objective of making the area a better place to live.
“If PSC was so dear and important to him and regard the organisation as the platform he rode to become minister, Akpabio should not have abandoned it (PSC) or continue to accommodate disgruntled and divisive elements. Hence, the best thing the minister should have done, which would have been more deserving, is to take the honourable path by apologising to the leadership in order to be reintegrated,” the statement added.
