Malicious Publication Against Minister Of State For Petroleum, Dr Ibe Kachikwu

The Convener and Director of Political Communication of Rescue Delta Media Group (RDMG ) of Delta APC, Barrister Fred Latimore Oghenesivbe has urged President Muhammadu Buhari and the good people of the Niger Delta to disregard the renewed political propaganda and Pull Him Down (PHD) syndrome against the Honourable Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr Ibe Kachikwu.

The Group in a statement released by Charles Onokuta said it is not true that renewed attacks on oil installations in the Niger Delta occurred as a result of alleged insincerity on the part of Kachikwu, rather the resumed bombings and vandalization may have been sponsored by a group of unscrupulous and rogue elements in politics.

He opined that sponsors of the bombings are doing everything possible to destabilise APC national government and in the same token make the country ungovernable for President Muhammadu Buhari. The cabal are also envious of the robust career and super pedigree of the Minister of State for Petroleum.

Oghenesivbe further asserted that a certain cabal in Delta State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC ) in collaboration with external political forces may have sponsored the said publications in some of the national dailies including Leadership Newspaper of November 29, wherein the blackmailers alleged that militants and/or ex-militants had to resume attacks on oil installations because Dr Kachikwu could not fulfil certain promises made to them.

He said Dr Kachikwu is a man of integrity, not given to blackmail and will never engage himself in dirty politics, adding that the evil cabal are scared of the unknown should the minister eventually take over the leadership and control of the entire political structure of Delta APC.

Onokuta quoted Oghnesivbe as saying that "the Pull Him Down" campaign against Kachikwu will only promote and never to demote him because President Buhari and key players in APC national government are fully aware of the plot against Kachikwu in connection with leadership crisis in Delta APC.

"The publication is sponsored to destroy the minister's image and possibly facilitate his sack. It will never yield the desired results. This plot began since the day Kachikwu's name rocked the mass media as a Ministerial Nominee, a development that angered some key players in Delta APC. It is unfair for this cabal to hate Kachikwu to the extent of initiating malicious publications to assassinate his character and person.

"The said publication do not list the promises made by Kachikwu to the militants or ex-militants and do not also state when and how promises will be fulfilled to enable the public truly understand and appreciate the level of default on the part of the Petroleum Minister.

"The publication is extremely dubious in content, lacked facts, no figures and at the same time do not pass for a genuine demand or complaint coming from either the militants currently bombing oil installations or ex-militant. At best, the said publication in Leadership Newspaper is a practical expression of acute hatred the cabal holds against an innocent man appointed on merit by President Muhammadu Buhari to serve our country as Minister of State for Petroleum.

"The general public and the Presidency should ignore the said publication because it lacked merit, a display of falsehood and laced with evil nutrients of dirty politics. The publication is the "voice of Esau and the hand of Jacob." It is evil, undemocratic and a political strategy to scheme out Ibe Kachikwu from playing leadership roles in Delta APC.

"The sponsors of the said publication are extremely jealous of the honourable minister which is why the cabal decided to use the power of the media to systematically influence and facilitate his removal from office as Minister of State for Petroleum; so that they can lobby for that position. This strategy is certainly dead on arrival because President Buhari will never sack Kachikwu as a result of some dubious, cheap and worthless publications that lacked facts and figures."

We urge practitioners of dirty politics currently promoting crisis and dividing the APC political family in Delta to repent and help to build the party so as to win future elections. President Buhari must of a necessity disregard the publication and send it to the trash-can, for the fact that it passes for "cheap blackmail," the statement added.