The Niger Delta Integrity Group says no elder, traditional ruler or group called for the sack of the Interim Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, retired Major General Barry Ndiomu.
This was contained in a statement issued on Friday by the Convener of the NDIG, Dr. Boma Horsfall.
According to Horsfall, Ndiomu, who has enormous respect for traditional institutions, enjoys a cordial relationship with the traditional rulers and elders in the Niger Delta region.
He said: “This has been demonstrated in Ndiomu’s series of meetings with them and other critical stakeholders across the region.
“At those meetings, he normally engaged them on innovate policies to bring the teeming youth out of the dark and create sustainable livelihoods for them.
“In fact, the NDIG after conducting due diligence and investigation, discovered that there are some resentful and unpatriotic elements who have resolve to destroy the good work and image of Ndiomu.
“For the records, their claims are false and non-existent. It is disappointing that they have now descended to an all-time low level of lunacy.
“Who are the purported elders and traditional rulers that endorsed the false accusations? It is public knowledge that all critical stakeholders of the Niger Delta region, including Elders and Traditional Rulers, are in full support of Ndiomu’s undertakings at the PAP.”
According to Horsfall, Ndiomu is widely loved and accepted across the region, adding that he should not to be deterred by the whims and caprices of “a few dishonest elements who are displaying the shortsighted physiognomies of some of our people”.
He called on the general public to disregard any sponsored statement from those who had in the past come forth with fraudulent and bogus contract claims that PAP has refused to attend to.
He alleged that such unpatriotic individuals in the past were fished out as those having multiple accounts linked to one BVN and fraudulently collecting monthly stipends for many years.
He added: “Their negative plans against Ndiomu would not work, because the PAP Interim Administrator is transparent and accountable in all his activities at the PAP.
“We commend Ndiomu on the recently launched Cooperative Scheme, and considers it one of the best ways to create windows of opportunities for youths in the region.”