By Our Correspondent
Urhobo youths under the auspices of Urhobo Youth Assembly said it has uncovered a plot to blackmail officials of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC by one ex-militant, Isreal Akpodoro.
The group in an open letter to the Presidency made available to our correspondent and signed by Comrade Jude Akore, Comrade Frank Onogagamue and Comrade Akpobaro Umukoro, President, Secretary and PRO respectively, called on the President Muhammadu Buhari to call Akpodoro to order.
The group dissociated themselves from the statement credited to Israel Akpodoro who claimed that the Federal Government has not been serious with the anti-corruption crusade and that officials of the presidential villa have been regularly demanding money from him (Akodoro) before they carry out their constitutional duties.
The Urhobo group said the Urhobos have nothing to do with the activities of Akopdoro, stressing that Akpodoro whose stock in trade is blackmailing and coordinating harassment of government appointees, also allegedly spear headed the orchestrated campaign of calumny against the harmless NDDC appointees simply because they refused to do his bidding.
The letter reads in part, “We are pained to report to you sir, that we have discovered a well orchestrated and well coordinated plot to blackmail the All Progressive Congress (APC) and top management of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
“We have noted with pain that the said Israel Akpodoro has been going around blackmailing the Federal Government for not been serious with the anti-corruption crusade as he accused top/security officials of the presidential villa of regularly demanding money from him before they carry out their constitutional duties.
“It is also note worthy that of recent the said Israel Akpodoro has been harassing and intimidating top management staff of the Federal Government Interventionist agency, the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) especially its Executive Director Project (EDP) Engr. Samuel Adeogbe over none existing corruption related allegations, simply because unlike other top government officials who curved in to his coordinated blackmail he refused to be intimidated by the said Israel Akpodoro.
“We view this as a dangerous trend because it is Anti-Federal Government and has Anti-People development agenda and we can therefore not to be silent why such heinous crime is been perpetrated by a selfish individual pretending to be a patriot.
“Your excellency sir, we have a enough evidence to show that the said Israel Akpodoro has blackmailed several notable Nigerians before now because of his personal desire to get rich without laboring for such wealth and we are very sure that in no distance time such Nigerians will come forward to testify against him just as the security agencies has so much information about his escapade and regular detention as all his information to them turned out to be false.
“We are saddened to note that the APC leadership in Delta State have suffered untold hardship in the hand of this serial blackmailer, we are very confident that his attempt to drag the name of Olorogun Otega Emerhor in the happening in NDDC is calculated to dint the good image of this notable Nigerian who has remain a solid pillar of the APC and a shining light to Delta State in general and Urhobo Nation in particular.
“We wish to state with all equivocation that the said commercial self styled ex-militant leader has no other sources of livelihood other than blackmail of top government officials and as such the APC led federal government must be wary of such an undesirable element who poses as chieftain of the party who actually is bad asset and causing a lot of damage to the party raising profile in Delta State.”
