Kachikwu not romancing Delta PDP – Group

An oil monitoring group, Niger Delta Indigenous Movement for Radical Change (NDIMRC), has dismissed allegation that the Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr. Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu, was romancing the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Delta State. The group said that it was foolhardy for anyone to allege that Kachikwu was romancing the PDP in Delta State at a time the Minister was settling down to tackle issues bordering on the nation’s oil and gas industry. A group, Buhari Movement for Change (BMC), had recently written an open letter to President Muhammadu Buhari, entitled “Urgent Appeal To President Muhammadu Buhari to Save Delta State Chapter of All Progressives Congress, APC from Extinction over Ibe Kachikwu’s Romance With The Leadership of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Delta State Chapter.” But reacting to this in a statement on Friday signed by its President, Nelly Emma; Secretary, John Sailor and Public Relations Officer, Stanley Mukoro and made available to THEWILL, the group, which gave Kachikwu a clean bill of health, said it was too early in the day to call for the head of the Minister and therefore urged BMC to allow the Minister to settle down for his national assignment rather than distracting him at this early stage and crucial period NDIMRC however implored President Buhari to ignore the group, saying its members were out to give the Minister a bad name while at the same time seeking self-recognition. The group said it was not true that the Minister was romancing the Delta State Chapter of the PDP, imploring President Buhari not to take the allegation against the Minister seriously. “We want to draw your attention to the recent publication by the group going by the name Buhari Movement for Change (BMC) in which they faulted you for the choice of Dr. Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu as the Minister of State for Petroleum and also accusing him of romancing the leadership of the Delta State Chapter of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). “Mr. President, ordinarily, we would not have joined issues with the Buhari Movement for Change (BMC). But we are constrained to react to the unwarranted accusation of Dr. Ibe Kachikwu in order to put the record straight. “Your Excellency, you made a good choice in the recent appointment of Dr. Ibe Kachikwu as Minister of State for Petroleum, a highly respected technocrat. Your choice of him was a good one and we want to give you a pat on the back for making the wise choice. Thank you Mr. President. “We want to let you know Mr. President that Dr. Ibe Kachikwu who is from Delta North Senatorial District with the State Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa, is not romancing the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Delta State. He is a clean man and should be spared of the accusation by the so-called group seeking recognition,” the group said. It therefore urged President Buhari to disregard what it called the lies raised in the publication against the Minister, saying “This is the time to allow the respected Minister to settle down for national assignment and not time for unnecessary distraction that will not do us any good.”