Why IG Stopped Nsima Ekere From Speaking At Security Summit

• Shoddy Contracts, links with Kidnappers, Others

iReporters News.

More reasons have emerged on the reason the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, Mr Nsima Ekere was not allowed to present his speech at the just concluded security summit in Uyo.  

The itinerary of the Inspector General of Police, South South Security Summit, had shown that the Managing Director of the NDDC was billed to deliver a keynote address on how the agency was using development to tackle insecurity in the sub region.

Sources in the Louis Edet House police headquarters in Abuja told our reporter that the Inspector General of Police had initially planned to use Mr Ekere as a metaphor for curbing security due to media hype of his excellent performance at the helms of the federal moneybag agency.

However, upon arrival in the state, IG Ibrahim Idris who spent two days in Uyo, discovered that the over bloated achievements of NDDC were nothing more than vain apparitions that had no bearing with realities.

Our source said the Police Boss was so angry with the spate of uncompleted and shoddy NDDC road projects that littered Akwa Ibom such as the recently celebrated Ukana Offot Street, to the popular Nelson Mandela street, Udo Ekong street and several abandoned roads in the popular Ewet Housing Estate, all in the state capital.

Mr Ekere’s profile before the visiting IG was further diminished by the intelligence gathering that linked his aides to previous acts of kidnappings, cultism and abductions.

In fact the Mallam Ibrahim Idris was allegedly shocked to discover that Mr Ekere’s Personal Assistants on Security, Uyo Nathaniel(Baba) and Iniobong Nkamiang (Placid) were in 2008 arrested and detained for several months for their role in the cultism and kidnappings in the state.

These revelations are said to have irked the wrath of the Police Chief, compelling him to immediately order that the Oil Rich Intervention Agency Boss be delisted among speakers at the event, a development that was never communicated to the former deputy governor.

Mr Ekere’s presence in the building that morning, according to inside sources in his camp, was preceded by a signal to his media lackeys that his speech and comments at the event be widely circulated and publicized to dwarf other speakers in the summit and earn him cheap popularity.

However when the event was rounded off without any attention on the visible ruffled former deputy governor, he had no option than to ask his restless media hirelings to withdraw his already prepared speech that was meant to be delivered at the occasion.

Unfortunately, it was too late as the itinerant media puppets in his employ had already leaked the speech to the public domain, to the consternation of their principal.

Not willing to be despaired by the poor attention he received at the Ibom Hall security summit, the NDDC Boss is said to have summoned his propagandist, stuffing their pockets heavily to launch series of media attacks on the government of Mr Udom Emmanuel, to discredit most of his achievements, which have already been applauded by the Vice President and other Nigerians.

Further investigations reveal that the Mr Ekere’s camp is seemingly uncomfortable with the recent array of accolades that have trailed the governor’s performance and the imminent football match at the State international Stadium which will further open the state to more global accolades.

At the summit, Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State had advised the NDDC to desist from politicization of development and liaise with the governors in the region to bring meaningful developments to the people, maintaining that the commission is unable to execute  any meaningful project in his state because of the politicization of projects by the agency.

Governor Emmanuel called on the Federal Government to re-examine the structures and performance of development agencies, saying “You can’t set up a development agency and hand it over to politicians. They will politicize the development.”

He called on the federal government to take bold steps towards addressing issues of neglect that gave rise to agitations in the Niger Delta region.

He also made a case for the relocation of multi national oil companies to their areas of operation explaining that, “all over the world, where the IOCs are operating, they operate from the base where they exploit the oil.”

He bemoaned that, “all the IOCs are in Lagos, and they are coming here to spill oil and nothing is being said and done. Why can’t Mobil operate from Akwa Ibom State? What do they want? We have The International Airport, we have good roads. Why can’t they operate from here?”

Commending the topic of the Summit, “Insecurity: Socio Economic Impacts and Conflict Resolution Perspectives,” the host governor said the present crop of governors in the Niger Delta has given the Federal Government the highest level of support in terms of security than experienced elsewhere, and wanted their efforts to be rewarded with more federal presence in the region.

Speaking earlier, the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Kpotun Idris reiterated the commitment of the force to protect lives and property of citizens of the country, saying “We shall police with integrity.”

“Without peace and security, development and poverty eradication are not possible, and without development and poverty eradication, no sustainable peace can take place. For investors to invest in our economy, they must have confidence in the ability of the police force and other security agencies to prevent and stop crime,” the IG noted.

Also in his goodwill message, the Governor of Rivers State said the Inspector General of Police should encourage commissioners of Police to work closely with the governors of the states so that they can parley and plan the security agenda of the respective states.

“Please let us fight crime, let’s stop playing politics in fighting crime. There is need for us to work together… I have told everybody who cares, we are all politicians, join me to fight crime in my state, when the time for politics come my people will decide. But for now fight crime with me,” Wike said.

In his opening remarks, the chairman on the occasion and Minister for Niger Delta, Pastor Usani Usani commended the police force for the good work they have been doing for the country and sued for dialogue as the only way to tackle the issue of security and bring lasting peace.

Rear Admiral John Jonah, Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State who conveyed the goodwill message of his governor also commended the IG for the move and restated the commitment of Bayelsa State government to assist in the fight against insecurity.