Group lauds Tinubu’s appointment of Okocha as NDDC Board Member

By Emmanuel Nlewedum, Port Harcourt

A group under the aegis of Greater Nigeria Assembly Forum (GNAF), has lauded President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the appointment of Chief Tony Okocha into the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), describing it as well deserved.

National President of the group, Dr. Adeleke-Jones Prince-Adewole, while addressing Journalists in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, also described the appointment of Chief Okocha as member, representing Rivers State at the Board as a reward for hardwork.

Prince-Adewole, who happens to be the leader of one of Tinubu’s support groups in Rivers State during the election stated that the president was just in his appointment of Mr. Okocha in the new NDDC Board, stressing that the former Rivers Chief of Staff worked painstakingly and contributed immensely to the victory of the All Progressive Congress (APC), in the presidential election in Rivers State.

The GNAF President described those against Okocha’s appointment as ignorant and shameless, even as he accused APC leaders in the state loyal to former Transportation Minister, Rotimi Amaechi of turning him down when he tried selling the candidacy of Bola Ahmed Tinubu to Rivers people.

“I sincerely appreciate President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for being a listening president. He listened to our yearnings that Chief Tony Okocha be rewarded for his dedicated services to the success and subsequent victory of APC in the presidential election in Rivers State, and appointment him into the NDDC Board to represent Rivers State.

“We congratulate Chief Tony Okocha for his well deserved appointment into the NDDC Board.

“Tony Okocha played a very key role and sacrificed everything to ensure Tinubu’s victory during the presidential election in Rivers State.

“Even when things looked as if it won’t go through, he was able to align to get help to sell the candidacy of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in Rivers State. The success story we are celebrating today, Tony Okocha’s name will be written in gold for it’s participation and all that he was able to put together.

“So, I can beat my chest to tell you that his appointment to represent Rivers State at the NDDC is well deserved,” he said.

On the criticisms against Okocha’s appointment by some stakeholders of APC in the Rivers state, Prince-Adewole said, “These so called stakeholders making noise today, were the same people we consulted, I personally met them, telling them about President Ahmed Tinubu’s candidacy, but they turned it down, they told me that their leader, Rotimi Amaechi was in the race. Even after Amaechi lost at the primaries, they still refused to work for P-BAT, they turned us down, now, they want to come and reap where they did not show?

“Tony Okocha was the only consistent player among the Rivers APC leaders and stakeholders who sacrificed and worked till the end to see that President Tinubu succeeds in Rivers State. This is not a hidden fact. They should hide their faces in shamed and leave who has worked to eat.”

He however called on President Tinubu to ignore all those against Okocha’s appointment.