By Gami Tadanyigbe

The National Body of Noble Youth Mass Support Association (NYMSA) has disassociated itself from calls by Akwa Ibom Chapter calling on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) screening committee, to disqualify Senator Bassey Albert Akpan from gubernatorial race in Akwa Ibom State.

Honorable Godwin Onmonya, the National Coordinator of NYMSA made this known in a press statement issued in Abuja on Saturday.

Onmonya said NYMSA does not meddle with political activities and affairs of any political Party but rather support and mobilise for good governance for the development of democracy in the country.

According to the National Coordinator, after thorough investigation, if the State coordinator is found wanting in the illegality, there would be sanctions levelled against him.

Earlie, Comrade Enefiok Okon, who is not even a member of Nymsa, who impersinate as the state secretary of Nymsa Akwa Ibom state chapter had earlier called for the disqualification of Senator Bassey Albert Akpan from gubernatorial race in Akwa Ibom State, is not our member as any publication should be disregarded.

Okon, said Bassey’s disqualification will save the state from impending security threat, if not averted, might lead to the lose of lives land properties.

According to him, “As the conscience of the people, we strongly appeal to, this would serve as a moral litmus and ascertain the integrity of the Peoples Democratic Party, ably led by Dr Iyorchia Ayu, a man of high moral rectitude.

“Sir, we write in respect of Senator Bassey Albert, one of gubernatorial aspirants of the Peoples Democratic Party, whose moral shortcut and deficit have engulfed him in several corruption charges, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and other anti- graft agencies, in recent times. Permit us to furnish you with more cogent facts and figures in this regard.

“First, In May 2017, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission arrested detained Senator Bassey Albert Akpan on account of the cars he allegedly received as bribe from Jude Omokere, as Commissioner for Finance and Chairman of the State Inter-Ministerial Direct Labour Coordinating Committee. An event Akpan described as politically motivated, reports indicate that Omokore’s companies, Bay Atlantic Energy and Sahel Energy received contracts from the Direct Labour Coordinating Committee and used the vehicles were used as a wimpish decoy to curry favor from Senator Bassey Albert Akpan.

“Secondly, In June 2018, another lump of charges were filed against Senator Akpan for surreptitiously evading the routine declaration of his true assets. Investigations by the Special Presidential Investigation Panel on the Recovery of Public Property (SPIP) accused Akpan of concealing his assets and the true cost of his several houses and property.

“Thirdly, Sir, the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) in August 2021, Akpan was used to orchestrate the bribery of federal legislators to guarantee the legislation’s advancement despite significant public opposition to parts of the text.

“Several reports point to the fact that at least $10 million was paid to legislators through the instrumentality of Senator Akpan and the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources Timipre Sylva. This was corroborated by several legislators who expressed misgivings over the sharing formula of the bribe, which they allegedly received $5,000 and $20,000 for representatives and Senators respectively.

“Sir, permit us to make recourse to the thoughts of no mean a personage than Albert Einstein, a scientist and philosopher, that “whoever is careless with the truth in small matters cannot be trusted with important matters.”

“Taking Einstein’s postulate into cognizance, it is crystal clear that Senator Bassey Albert has an integrity deficit- which makes him unfit for public trust and responsibility. He would blow to the wind, the foundational principles of governance such as accountability, transparency and responsiveness, among others.

“This is predicated on the assumption of Peter Pulitzer, an Hungarian -American politician and newspaper publisher, “there is not a crime, there is not a dodge, there is not a trick, there is not a swindle, there is not a vice which does not live by secrecy.”said