A former minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Umana Okon Umana, has said that he was not bothered about the recent blackmail and smear campaigns targeted at him over the much-expected ministerial list of President Bola Tinubu.
Umana was responding to reactions over a letter authored by a certain group, Akwa Ibom APC Renaissance, addressed to the Secretary to Sovernment of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, on appointment of a minister from Akwa Ibom State.
In a statement issued by his media office, Umana advised that if the smear campaign was about a ministerial appointment, those behind it should know that it is entirely the prerogative of the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria to appoint whoever he so wishes to work with.
He stated: “My position is that blackmailers, those who fabricate stories and those who peddle false stories to malign me because they want ministerial appointment, should leave me alone.
“They ought to know that the appointment of ministers is the sole prerogative of the President.”
The astute administrator, who had earlier issued a prompt disclaimer to a flag write-up authored by a certain group, Akwa Ibom APC Renaissance, said he stands by the letters and spirit of that disclaimer.
“For the purpose of setting the record straight, Mr Umana, in the disclaimer captioned “RE: PETITION TO SECRETARY TO GOVERNMENT OF THE FEDERATION OVER MINISTERIAL SLOT FOR AKWA IBOM STATE”, made it crystal clear that he had nothing to do with a purported letter written by a faceless group and supposedly addressed to the secretary to the government of the federation.
“The attention of the former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Mr Umana Okon Umana, has been drawn to a letter purported to be issued by Akwa Ibom APC Renaissance and addressed to the Secretary to Government of the Federation, His Excellency George Akume.
“In the said letter, a copy of which the group claimed has been sent to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, a strenuous effort is made to create the impression that the group is fighting for the political interest of Ibibio in Akwa Ibom State and Mr Umana as an individual in respect of who should be appointed Minister from the State into the present administration.
“We want to make it crystal clear that Mr Umana has nothing to do with this letter, and that the group is not acting at the behest of the former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs.
“Contrary to the impression that the letter and those behind it want to create, Mr Umana is not an ethnic champion. In all the roles he has had the privilege to play at the state and national levels Umana has always acted in the national interest, prioritising competence, fairness and equity above other considerations. And over the years, Umana has demonstrated his loyalty to the APC and has been unstinting in his efforts to build and defend the unity of the party at both the state and national levels.
“Umana is neither aware nor is he part of any factional fight within the APC in Akwa Ibom State. We totally disavow any insinuation of Mr Umana’s involvement in or support for any crisis in the APC in Akwa Ibom State,” the disclaimer stated.
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