Bayelsa guber: APC groups demand Ndiomu’s sack over support PDP
From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
Two All Progressive Congress (APC) groups in Bayelsa State have demanded the sack of the Interim Administrator, Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Maj-Gen Barry Ndiomu (retd), ahead of the November 11 state’s governorship election.
The two groups, Bayelsa APC elders and Bayelsa APC Integrity Forum (BAIF) both accused the amnesty boss of deploying his office to work for the reelection of the Bayelsa Governor and People’s Democratic Party candidate, Douye Diri.
In a statement issued in Yenagoa, Chairman of the Bayelsa State APC elders council, Chief Maxwell Adomokeme, wondered why Ndiomu has decided to remain an aide of sorts to the Governor of Bayelsa State Douye Diri instead of focusing on Niger Delta’s delicate security concerns which, of course, is his primary job description.
The APC group said the relationship Ndiomu has maintained with PDP leaders in the state is to undermine the APC-led Federal Government.
“Our only concern is why he has consistently converted the Amnesty Program to an anti-APC apparatus which is made more evident in his overwhelming empowerment of PDP card-carrying members and his recent and painful support of Atiku Abubakar during the last presidential elections.
“’The Amnesty office is, fundamentally, to keep peace in the Niger Delta Region and its development. The institution is not to further party divides or gain partisan advantages. But beyond that, we urge the Department of State Security to investigate leakages in communication between government agencies for such acts are a worrisome security breach.
“We are calling for the immediate sack of Major General Barry Ndiomu for turning the noble Presidential Amnesty Programme into a mere empowerment scheme of the People’s Democratic Party.
“We thank President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the innovative pathways to progress he has unveiled since becoming President, we are certain our dear nation is on the pathway of sustained progress.
On his part, the Chairman of the BAIF, Ebiye Appah, in a statement issued in Yenagoa said
wondered how an official and confidential correspondence between the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and the Amnesty Office was deliberately leaked to the Bayelsa State Government House and other PDP members in the state.
“Ndiomu’s failed action is targeted at casting aspersion to the Sylva/Maicaver governorship ticket to cause tension in APC and give undue advantage to his friend, Diri and his party, the PDP”, Adomokeme said.
He challenged Ndiomu to deny supporting the Presidential candidate of the PDP in the last election, Alh. Atiku Abubakar, and empowering card-carrying members of the PDP in his anti-APC campaign in Bayelsa and Niger Delta.
A source in the Amnesty Office who said Ndiomu won’t join issues with politicians noted that the Amnesty Office is focused on its mandate to reposition the programme for the benefit of the Niger Delta people.
