Revelation has emerged over why the erstwhile Minister of State for Niger Delta Affairs, Mr Festus Keyamo, was redeployed to the Ministry of Labour still as a junior minister to Dr Chris Ngige.
Investigations by Pointblanknews.com reveal that Keyamo was posted out of the Niger Delta ministry because he was allegedly working with the Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, to undermine the newly constituted Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
It was learnt that Keyamo a close ally of Amaechi was working in cohorts with the Transport minister, who was regarded as the godfather of most of the sacked senior management team of NDDC, to jeopardise the efforts the new NDDC Board led by Pius Odubu.
Amaechi, has been linked with series of orchestrated media attacks on the new board of the NDDC following the recent sacking of the Prof. Nelson Briambraifa led board and swift replacement with Pius Odubu as Chairman and Bernard Okumagba as managing Director by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Pointblanknews had reported that Amaechi, irked by the replacement, mobilising state Governors from the region to kick against the new appointment.
The scheme was seen as a desperate bid to cover up the allegations of massive and high-wire multi-billion naira corruption in the NDDC during the immediate past administration of acting Managing Director, Prof Nelson Braimbraifa with Chris Amadi (Executive Director, Finance and Administration) and Samuel Adjogbe(Executive Director, Projects).
Sources had further told pointblanknews.com that Amaechi’s anger stem from his losing out from the NDDC and the N30billion recently released to the agency by the Federal Government which he had hoped some of his front companies would have benefitted in the form of contract awards.
However a Villa Source while explaining what led to Keyamo’s redeployment said, “He has been tag teaming with Amaechi to undermine the new NDDC board recently named.”
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha had issued the redeployment letter to Keyamo, dated September 23 noting that he should be report from September 24 as Minister of State to the Ministry of Labour.
A statement from the
Office of Secretary to the Government of the Federation, signed by the Director Information, Willie Bassey, had corroborated the redeployment.
The statement entitled, “MINOR CABINET RESHUFFLE: FESTUS KEYAMO SWAPS POSITION
WITH TAYO ALASOADURA,” read in part, “President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the immediate redeployment of two Ministers of State as follows:
“i. Mr Festus Keyamo, Minister of State for Niger Delta Affairs is to move to Ministry of Labour and Employment as Minister of State,
“ii. Senator Tayo Alasoadura is to move to Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs as Minister of State.
“This redeployment takes effect from today, Tuesday 24th September, 2019,” the statement said.
But Keyamo on his Twitter handled shortly after he was redeployed, posted: “ON THE MOVE AGAIN: TWO PORTFOLIOS IN TWO MONTHS! Just been redeployed to the Ministry of Labour and Employment to work with my long-time big brother, H.E, Chris Ngige. Thank you, Mr. President for finding me versatile enough to move around. Always ready to serve in any capacity.”