A member of the Interim Management Committee of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Evang. Caroline Barine Nagbo has denied receiving thirty slots of the commission’s Covid-19 palliative meant for Ogoni youths.
President Ogoni Youth Federation, Mr.Legborsi Yormabana , had recently accused the IMC member of receiving and diverting the palliatives meant for the Ogoni youths.
Nagbo in a statement by her media aide, Ikechi Akpuh described as untrue, unfounded, baseless and malicious.
The statement insisted that the Special Assistant to the Ag.Managing Director of NDDC Mr.Afred Etuk who designed and disbursed the funds has already told Department of State Security Services(DDS),that Evang. Nagbo was not involved in the distribution process for the said palliatives and that slots were not given to her for the Ogoni youths or any other group.
The statement reads in part: We want to state here categorically that there is no originating memo from the office of Mrs.Nagbo as member Interim Management Committee(IMC),to the office of the SA Youths demanding for anything relating to the palliatives.
We wish to condemn the continuous misleading of the general public on the true position of the matter by the Ogoni Youth Federation who in their recent publication claimed that twenty five 25 slots of the NDDC Youths palliatives was given to an SA to Evang. Nagbo Barr. Sogbeye Eli.
This twist to the earlier position of the Ogoni Youth Federation when their President spoke on the Rhythm FM programme of April 27, 2020 only goes further to expose the real characters behind this defamatory and their intention.
Whereas the latest position of the Ogoni Youth Federation contradicts the allegation that the Acting MD handed over 30 NDDC palliative slots meant for Ogoni youths to Mrs. Nagbo, it is also untrue, unfounded and misleading that Barr. Sogbeye Eli was given 25 palliative slots for Ogoni or youths of any ethnic extraction in Rivers State.
We state for emphasis that as colleagues in the Commission, Messrs Eli and Etuk can hold discussions in furtherance of their work in the Commission. However, nothing in this wise has necessitated the transfer of money from Mr. Etuk to Mr. Sogbeye Eli in person or his capacity as the SA Technical & Youth Matters to Mrs. Caroline Nagbo.
With Alfred Etuk himself admitting severally that he paid every beneficiary of the NDDC palliative by bank transfers, we challenge the Legborsi Yamaabana-led Ogoni Youth Federation to publish details of any such transfers to Mrs. Nagbo’s Aide through his bank account or howsoever for payment to anyone or group as COVID-19 palliative to warrant the fresh albeit baseless allegation.
In this era of electronic banking and the BVN of individual Account holders, we are confident that it would take no length of time to establish that such transaction exists between both SAs to justify the hallucinations of anyone or group.
Meanwhile because of the obvious truth now that it is clear from all investigation that Mrs. Nagbo does not have any hand in the disbursement process and was not given slots for the Ogoni,we expect Ogoni Youth Federation and their president to do the needful and apologize to their sister for such action.Though the group did not tell the general public the confessions made by their president to the DSS while in their custody.
We wish to state categorically that the allegation is not true,and that he is being used to blackmail Evang.Nagbo who has an outstanding record of discipline and good reputation
Evang.Nagbo however was not in the State but obeying the government lockdown as part of the measures to check the COVID-19 pandemic when the said NDDC palliatives for Niger Delta Youths were doled out through the office of the Special Assistant Youths to Ag.Mananaging Director NDDC.
The members of the public are advised to ignore the unwarranted accusation by Mr.Yamaabana even if we know where it is coming from,we may not join issues,this is because the truth will manifest soon and then,he will be compel to take responsibility of his action
Evang. Nagbo is committed to the Ogoni struggle as the first Desk Officer of Movement For The Survival Of Ogoni People(MOSOP ),and a frontline women and youths rights activist from the Ogoni extraction , she cannot and will never condescend so low to eat what is meant for Ogoni in particular and the Niger Delta region in general.
Evang. Nagbo has made very priceless and notable contributions in the development of the Ogoni and cannot work against the Ogoni People now in the exalted position as a member of the NDDC Interim Management Committee IMC.
We wish to state clearly that Evang. Nagbo among other members of the IMC are working very hard to deliver on the mandate given to them by President Mohamadu Buhari, while we hint that very soon her impact will be felt by Rivers people including her Ogoni People
We call on the various youth bodies from Ogoni ,and indeed the Ogoni People to give their daughter and the NDDC IMC the needed support .
