Group, Bayelsa APC Elders, Youth Call for PAP Boss Sack

Olusegun Samuel in Yenagoa

The calls for the sack, prosecution, and arrest of the coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty program, Major Gen. Barry Ndiomu, has continued to gather momentum in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital.

Joining the growing voice for the sack of Ndiomu, were the Bayelsa State All Progressive Congress (APC).elders council, who called for his immediate sack,  over allegations of overt partisan support in favour of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri.

In a statement yesterday, the Chairman of the Bayelsa State APC elders council, Chief Maxwell Adomokeme,  wondered why Ndiomu allegedly decided to remain an aide of sort to the Governor of Bayelsa State instead of focusing on Niger Delta’s delicate security concerns which, of course, is his primary job description.

Also yesterday,  youths from the Bayelsa APC  kicked against what they described as the partisanship of Ndiomu ahead of the November 11  governorship election in the state.

The party stakeholders under the auspices of the Bayelsa APC  Integrity Forum (BAIF) called for the immediate removal, prosecution and arrest of Ndiomu for gross abuse of his office.

The youth specifically accused the amnesty boss of deploying his office to work for the reelection of the Bayelsa Governor and Peoples Democratic Party Candidate, Douye Diri.

The Chairman of the forum, Ebiye Appah, in a statement, said Ndiomu was acting like an aide to Diri instead of focusing on his primary responsibility of promoting peace in the Niger Delta.

“‘We wonder also why confidential mail communication between his office and the Office of the Secretary to the Government of The Federation would be deliberately leaked and made subject of pedestrian deliberations’

“We are not concerned about his obvious PDP ties and the fact he is a kinsmen to former Governor Dickson, 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-carriers 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 glean partisan advantages. 

“But beyond that, we urge the Department of State Security investigate leakages in communication between government agencies for such acts are as treasonable as they are worrying security breaches’

“We are calling for the immediate sack, prosecution and arrest of Major General Barry Ndiomu for leaking official government communication and for turning the Noble Presidential Amnesty Program to a mere empowerment scheme of the Peoples Democratic Party,” the elders fumed.

Appiah, accused Ndiomu of deliberately lying and mischievously twisting  facts about the amnesty status of the APC deputy governorship candidate, Joshua Macaiver, and subsequently leaking his reply to the SGF’s inquiries to members of the public.

“Ndiomu’s failed action is targeted at casting aspersion on the Sylva/Maicaver governorship ticket to cause tension in APC and give undue advantage to his friend, Diri and his party, the PDP”, Adomokeme alleged.

He challenged Ndiomu to deny supporting the presidential candidate of the PDP in the last election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, and empowering card-carrying members of the PDP in his anti-APC campaign in Bayelsa and Niger Delta.

Appah said, “We are not concerned about his obvious PDP ties and the fact he is a kinsman to former Governor Dickson, our only concern is why he has consistently converted the Amnesty Programme to an anti-APC apparatus which is made more evident in his overwhelming empowerment of PDP card-carriers 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 divide or glean partisan advantages. 

“But beyond that, we urge the Department of State Security (DSS) to investigate leakages in communication between government agencies for such acts are as treasonable as they are worrying security breaches.

“We are calling for the immediate removal, prosecution and arrest of Ndiomu for leaking official government communication and for turning the noble PAP to a mere empowerment scheme of the PDP.”