A group, the Middle Belt Pan-Nigerian Forum (MBPF), has been described as fake and misleading in the media statement credited to it, calling for the resignation of the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla.
The media was awash some days ago, with the report credited to the group calling on Vice Admiral Ogalla to step aside in view of the allegation of aiding oil theft against him (Ogalla).
A statement credited to Dr Danladi Ceceko Dangana, who ascribed himself as the spokesperson for the group, said the Naval Chief’s continued stay in office may impede the investigation into his alleged involvement in crude theft, contract splitting, and other corrupt practices.
But in a twist of events, the Forum, in a statement made available to the Tribune Online and signed by Dr. Victor Atokolo and Pastor Ogbole Moses, the national president and secretary general, respectively, disowned the person who signed the text in Tuesday’s media report.
The Forum said Dangana was long expelled from the group over what it described as a “selfish and dubious style,” saying it wondered why a former member would want to drag the group into a matter of national security.
“We therefore call on the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, and the general public to kindly disregard the media report credited to the Middle Belt Pan-Nigerian Forum.
“We sincerely apologise to the gallant and combatant Naval Officer, his family, and members of his team over the fake and misleading statement credited to one of our former members, Mr Danladi Dangana.
“It baffles us that a man who was expelled from our forum some years back, owing to his selfish and dubious style such as this, could still join the enemies of Nigeria to distract a man who is doing well to protect the waterfront and marine integrity of our sea and blocking the many routes exposed to oil theft.
“The Chief of Naval Staff has done well in our observations, and we are bold enough to pass a vote of confidence in him. We want the general public to disregard the fake outing of Dangana, as it did not emanate from us. In fact, it is a figment of his wildest imagination, the forum said.
It added that, as true Nigerians who believe in justice, the forum would not want to engage in anything that would undermine the integrity and fundamental rights of any Nigerian, saying that the outcome of any probe would be made known to all Nigerians, and it is only then that the forum would speak next on the allegations levelled against Ogalla.
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