South-South group warns against media attacks on petroleum minister
- A group in the oil-rich South-South region has frowned at media reports targeting political appointees from the region
- The group specifically decried the media attacks on the minister of state for petroleum, Timipre Sylva
- Also mentioned by the group is the executive secretary of the Nigerian Local Content Board Engr. Simbi Wabote
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A forum of professionals under the aegis of South-south Emerging Leaders Forum (SELF) has warned against media reports aimed at tarnishing the image of senior government officials of the Niger Delta region.
The forum specifically frowned at the conduct of the publisher of an online medium, Jackson Ude, who is based in the United States of America.
In a statement sent to Legit.ng on Monday, February 15 by the secretary of the forum, Dr. Preye Johnson, the group asked Ude to prove his recent allegation against the minister of state for petroleum Chief Timipre Sylva and the executive secretary of the Nigerian Local Content Board Engr. Simbi Wabote.
Source: Twitter
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Legit.ng gathered that the online medium had published a news article accusing the minister and Wabote of bribery and corruption.
But responding to the allegation, SELF a group of professionals from the Niger Delta wondered why the publisher was blackmailing appointees from the region, adding that people from other regions will rather embrace their own in government rather than tarnishing their images.
The group, however, called on Nigerians to throw such allegation, described as malicious into the dustbin, adding that the duo accused have not committed any wrongdoing in discharging their constitutional duties.
Part of the statement read:
“This forum will henceforth resist this criminality by deploying all known instrumental of law to fight the faces behind these tissues of lies.”
Meanwhile, Minister Sylva has been appointed by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) as its special envoy for further consultations with ‘Declaration of Cooperation’ (DoC) participating countries.
The DoC is a charter that provides a platform to facilitate dialogue and exchange views regarding conditions and developments in the global oil and energy markets.
Back home, Minister Sylva recently revealed that the federal government is planning to begin oil exploration in the northeastern part of the country.
The minister had earlier announced that crude oil had been discovered in the northeast, adding that drilling activities have already started in the Lake Chad Basin.
Jerrywright Ukwu is an Abuja-based senior political/defence correspondent at Legit.ng. He is a graduate of the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos and the International Institute of Journalism in Abuja. He is also a member of the Nigeria Union of Journalists. He spends his leisure-time reading history books. He can be reached via email at jerrywright39@yahoo.com.
Source: Legit.ng
