Ijaw religion, Egbesu, backs Wabote, flays MEND

By Mike Odiegwu, Port Harcourt

Leaders of the Ijaw traditional religion, Egbesu Sacred Order (ESO), have called on President Muhammadu Buhari to ignore the rantings of the disbanded Movement for Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND) against the Executive Secretary, Nigeria Content Development Management Board (NCDMB), Simbi Wabote.

The group described as mischievous MEND’s recent call on Buhari not to reappoint Wabote as Executive Secretary for another four years following the expiration of his tenure.

Referring to MEND as a faceless group, the Priest of Egbesu Brotherhood, Ellington Bakumor, wondered why the dissolved MEND was still issuing statements using a fictitious spokesman, Gbomo Jomo.

Bakumo in a statement in Port Harcourt insisted that following the acceptance of the Presidential Amnesty by MEND’s field commanders, the group and its fictional spokesman, Gbomo Jomo, ceased to exit.

He said some selfish persons used the name of the disbanded group to attack Wabote to create the impression that the executive secretary did not deserve a second term.

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But Bakumo lauded Wabote’s achievements especially his innovations in the oil and gas sector saying he deserved a reappoinment.

He said: “We were shocked to see publications from MEND and other faceless groups , it is not a secret that MEND no longer exists and Jomo Gbomo is long dead . We also know that there are certain elements seeking their personal and selfish gains and always opposing whatever doesn’t benefit them directly.

“We have in the same vein observed the person of Wabote in managing the NCDMB, and so far so good it has been nothing less than great and commendable with positive reports and testimonies coming from his office.

“We want to call on the Minister of State for Petroleum, our leader Timipere Sylva to ignore such calls because neither MEND nor Jomo Gbomo exists. Wabote has been the best hand handling that office at this time, and the majority of Ijaw youths, Ijaw leaders and even ex-MEND generals are solidly behind Wabote”.