APC counters Ekpo critics, highlights minister’s achievements

The Akwa Ibom State chapter of the All Progressives Congress has condemned those criticising the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, for under-performance, describing them as idle and woeful assessors.

Recalled that there have been orchestrated but sustained campaigns, write-ups and insinuations in some quarters in the state by some individuals and groups against the minister in the last one year.

But reacting, in a statement by its Publicity Secretary, OtoAbasi Udo on Friday, in Uyo, the state capital, the party said such an assessment of the Minister lacks objectivity and merit, adding that they ( assessors) have no empirical evidence to support their claims.

It therefore called on them and their sponsors to look elsewhere and allow the minister to concentrate and deliver on the mandates of his office.

The statement reads in part, “The attention of APC, Akwa Ibom State Chapter has been drawn to a bedlam of idle talks, write-ups, assessments and insinuations as regards the performance so far in office of the Minister of Petroleum Resources (gas)

“The assessment and critical analysis of these idle talks mainly from the quarters of detractors, motivated by the ‘bring him down’ syndrome for reasons best known to them lack in merit and objectivity. They are completely found wanting in any empirical evidence to back up and support their findings.

“To the idle and woeful assessors and their sponsors, the Party advises that they should look elsewhere. The minister should not be distracted as he continues to approach his duties with admiration of our party.”

While noting that the minister has done very well in the last one year by engaging and collaborating with international and local partners in the development and utilisation of abundant gas resources in the country, the party wondered about the parameters used in assessing him.

The statement added, “To start with, the Party would like to ask these woeful assessors of the Minister’s performance these pertinent questions. Are they comparing the record of the present Minister with the records of the previous Ministers in the Ministry? Are they measuring the Hon. Minister’s performance with the template set by who so that their tick-off of items done by the Hon. Minister scores him below the benchmark?

“If they are not up to something sinister, they would have known that this is a virgin Ministry brought into existence by the commendable initiative of the present administration headed by His Excellency, Bola Ahmed Tinubu to free gas administration from petroleum for more effective management and utilisation of the nation’s gas resources.

“In the President’s wisdom and magnanimity, he assigned Ekperikpe Ekpo to take charge of the new Ministry which puts extra demand on the Minister in terms of nursing a new baby to adulthood.”

Udo noted that the objective and sincere assessment of the Minister by the APC leadership, a platform upon which the present administration came into being and indeed all objective and sincere Nigerians, bestow on the Minister, a scorecard of performance as he keeps hitting the ground running by daily engaging and collaborating with international and local partners in the development and utilisation of the nation’s abundant gas resources for the benefit of all Nigerians, since assumption of office