Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja
The recent smear campaigns and innuendos on the social media directed at a minister-designate, Prince Goddy Jedy Agba by faceless persons, including a columnist, Dr. Kperogi Farook have drawn the ire of Abuja-based Concerned Cross Riverians who have warned traducers to leave him alone to serve the country.
In a statement made available to THISDAY in Abuja, the group chairman, Desmond Abue said ‘the campaign of calumny deliberately waged against the nominee was callous, unprovoked and very uncharitable to say the least.”
According to the statement, “we were shocked at the salacious lies, misinformation and outright fabrications by a seasoned journalist and an academic like Kperogi who should uphold the ethics of his profession and know better than to go to press with unfounded allegations against an innocent citizen just to tarnish his image. What was Kperogi’s motive, if we may ask?”
Abue said “it is true that the inclusion of Jedy Agba in the ministerial list shocked and ruffled feathers across the country. But we see that as a very positive development. We believe that President Muhammadu Buhari, who is himself an oil industry insider, must have been impressed by the sterling records of the nominee, which is why he appointed him to his cabinet to drive his vision this time around.”
He stated that “we find it outrightly disgusting, the lies that Jedy Agba paid N2.5 bilion to a presidency official to be nominated. It is not only incredulous but also embarrassing that without stating the mode of the transactions, bank details or account numbers and banks where this money changed hands, these rumor mongers would expect the general public to swallow this falsehood hook line and sinker.”
According to him, “we find it most uncharitable too for Jedy Agba to be linked with any form of corruption by his traducers. While as Group General Manager, Crude Oil Marketing, he kept a very clean slate until his voluntary retirement to join politics. As Senator Dino Melaye rightly mentioned at the screening of nominees Monday, Jedy Agba has no corruption charge with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the police or court. He has no case to answer anywhere whatsoever.”
Abue said “we have followed the career of the minister-designate very closely and can attest to his track record of professionalism. He is a detribalised Nigerian who would serve the interest of Nigerians in any position he is finally deployed to in the coming days. Nigerians should brace up for real change ahead. We, therefore, warn critics to leave Jedy Agba alone to serve our country to the best of his ability. We want to put on notice that we would not hesitate to institute legal action against any further distractions by any individual or group aimed at tarnishing the good name of the minister-designate. Enough is enough.”
