The Prophet Jones Erue-led faction of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Delta State has challenged Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, to inaugurate Chief Frank Kokori as NSITF board chairman without further delay if he has nothing sinister to conceal.
Prophet Erue, in a statement signed on his behalf by Nick Ovuakporie, Director, Communications of the faction in Asaba, described Dr Ngige as treading a dishonourable path that is disgraceful and unbecoming of a minister.
The factional chairman said that Ngige was putting up a “dishonourable show of shame and grandstanding,” following his persistent refusal to inaugurate the NSITF board under the chairmanship of Kokori.
Erue described as disgraceful the free-for-all incident between the NLC President Ayuba Wabba, NUPENG President William Akporeha and other labour leaders on one hand and the minister’s security details during a peaceful protest to compel the minister to inaugurate Chief Kokori’s NSITF board.
He noted that the face-off between Dr. Ngige and the NLC leadership was avoidable had the embattled minister had listened to the voice of reasoning by inaugurating the board.
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“The party also recalled the intervention of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, who, sometimes ago, expressed dismay over Dr. Ngige’s high handedness and total disregard for the office of the President and Commander-in-Chief for his blatant refusal to inaugurate Chief Frank Ovie Kokori as NSITF board Chairman as repeatedly directed by President Muhammadu Buhari.
“And wonders what Ngige seeks to achieve with his unilateral lordship of the NSITF as sole administrator/supervising Minister in clear breach of the extant laws through his continuous disrespect for constituted authorities.
“The party is of the view that Dr. Ngige may be concealing an infraction which he doesn’t want law enforcement agencies to be privy to, by executing the bidding of his dishonourable friend and collaborator in Delta State who is trying to foist his personal employee through the back door to help further cover the abnormalities that may have been perpetuated in the NSITF overtime.
“His collaborator, who himself has a penchant for desecrating the office of the President and disregarding party discipline as openly displayed in his led attack brazenly carried out at the National convention of the APC at a time Mr. President was reading his speech at the Eagles Square Abuja,” the statement read.
Prophet Erue called on Ngige to stop using the name of President Buhari to cover his tracks, but rather do the needful by inaugurating Chief Kokori as NSITF board chairman without further if his hands are clean.
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