From Victor Edozie, in Port Harcourt
A group, the Ogoni Patriotic Progressive Assembly, OPPA has faulted the recomposition of HYPREP Board Of Trustees, BOT, saying that the composition of the board was skewed to appease some political godfathers.
The President General of the group, Comrade S. N. Nwiku in a statement in Port Harcourt on Thursday said the immediate past BoT chairman of the board, Dr Mike Nwielaghi was removed and replaced against the interest of the entire Ogoni nation.
He said that the removal of the immediate past BoT Chairman of the agency was politically motivated to achieve selfish interest.
He said that the reign of the Dr Nwielaghi as BoT Chairman brought so much development in Ogoni land, and that his removal is capable of generating tension in the area.
He said , “It is Worthy of note that under the leadership of Dr Mike Nwielaghi as Chairman of BOT and Professor Nenibarini Zabbey as Project Coordinator, the project has been maintaining an unprecedented upwards progressive spiral to the admiration of the Ogoni people.
“I believe we are all counting on the ideal counter reaction to this for the proper normalization of the contending issue of the mutilation of the rightful occupant of the position of the BOT Chairman.
“Whilst I once again believe the president would rectify this aberation, I wish to state that delay to do so can inevitably attract the unnecessary altercations from different quarters and
circles of leadership and influences from Ogoniland and its people.
“I have observed with mixed feelings, the development in the recent reconstitution of the members of the Governing Council and Board of Trustees (BOT) for HYPREP by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. First, I want to thank the president for his
Interest in Ogoniland and support of peace in the area which is pivotal to the quality of leadership in place to drive the process to the desired goal and the admiration, fairness and good of all stakeholders in the scheme of this.
“While I have gone through the list of the new governing Council members and acknowledge the different flanks and eligibility curves they were selected from, I’ve noticed two salient points that necessited my reaction to the exercise.
“It is not only preposterous, but also blatantly awkward that the actions of someone or group of persons must have exposed a poorly orchestrated attempt to repeal and replace the order of the position of the Chairman of the board. This is because the president clearly reappointed the board chairman whose first tenure elapsed. Exactly why the publication says ‘RE” APPOINTED. The meaning of *’re’ cannot be subjected to any ambiguity even to a primary school pupil. So, it’s not subject to any debate. ,*It is clear and absolute* that the president has by that statement, reappointed Dr. Mike Nwielaghi former, BOT Chairman Ogoni Trust Fund (HYPREP) for another term. This reason for the reappointment will not be far from his impressive performance in his first tenure.
“It is clear that the list was tampered to suit the selfishness of a person or a group of persons for a cheap political card against the wish of the President in particular and to unnecessarily steer an avoidable bad blood amongst the people of Ogoniland in general. I therefore urge the President to note this and the crucial need to review the reconstituted BOT in good time.
He called for proper normalization of the contending issue of what he described as the mutilation of the rightful occupant of the position of the BOT Chairman as not to raise tension in the area.
