The Presidential Support Committee (PSC) has suspended Minister for Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio for “failed leadership.”
The PSC, an All Progressives Congress (APC) support group formed to facilitate the re-election of President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019, had appointed Akpabio as its National Coordinator months to the last presidential poll.
Akpabio, a former Governor of Akwa Ibom State was suspended at the “National General Meeting and Merit Award” of the PSC, where he was scheduled to deliver a speech in his capacity as the National Coordinator of the Group.
The PSC founder and National Facilitator, Hon. Gideon Sammani, and the Organisation’s Director of Media, Dr. Kailani Muhammad, told journalists, Saturday that Akpabio was suspended to revitalize the organisation, noting that he has become inactive since his appointment as a Federal Minister by President Buhari in 2019.
Sammani also lambasted Akpabio for abandoning the group, which they said was the platform through which he got his ministerial appointment.
“While PSC has supported the APC and the re-election of President Muhammad Buhari in the 2019 election, regrettably it is gradually drifting due to failed leadership of the National Coordinator.”
“We are worried that in an attempt to bring back PSC to glory, whose members have committed themselves to the successful reelection of the President in 2019, the National Coordinator, whose appointment as Minister was through the platform, has abandoned the organisation and its members.
“But we cannot hold back and watch PSC that was positively established to sink as a result of inactivity. Those who worked for APC and the President must be carried along,” Sammani said.
He added that “Senator Akpabio as National Coordinator was appointed as Minister for Niger Delta through the PSC platform but the Organisation is worst hit by his inactions.”
Sammani, who said Akpabio has failed to offer advice needed to pilot the affairs of the group, added that the Minister has also been unable to defend the policies and programmes of the Buhari’s administration despite being a cabinet member, let alone offer constructive criticism where necessary.
The PSC founder added that Akpabio’s inactivity has continued to stall the National Conference of the group initially scheduled for 2020, over claims that the former Akwa Ibom Governor had at several times in the past pushed for a change in the date under sundry pretexts.
