A northern group, the Arewa Youths for Peaceful Coexistence, has tackled the Publisher of Ovation Magazine, Mr Dele Momodu over his open letter to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on the state of the economy and political crisis in Rivers State.
The group in a statement by its National Chairman, Hon. Haruna Bature, described Momodu’s open letter to the President as a tainted recipe of inglorious assumptions and misrepresentation of economic and political facts.
Momodu’s open letter to Tinubu was published in an online media platform, Gistcore on July 18, 2024.
According to the Northern Youths: “The content of the letter to Mr. President raised concerns about the Nigerian Economy and Rivers State Politics wherein Mr. Dele Momodu urged Mr. President to stop the Honourable Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Chief Barr. E.N. Wike before he throws the Nation into chaos.
“It is most shocking and very disappointing for Mr. Dele Momodu to sneak in false and malicious issues about the Rivers State Political Crisis under the pretext of bringing the attention of Mr. President to National Economic issues. We find it very difficult to see the correlation between these two issues if not for meeting the self serving needs of Mr. Dele Momodu himself.
“Firstly and for the information and proper guidance of Mr. Dele Momodu, the Economic challenges the Nation is going through in terms of basic food are largely caused by insecurity and “imported inflation” induced operational costs. These two issues infiltrated the Nigerian Economy by disrupting and putting pressure on our local economy whereby Nigerian Farmers are no longer able to go to their farms to meet the local food needs of the Nation which by extension services the regional needs of the ECOWAS Sub-Region.
“The operational price hikes and high inflation in the ECOWAS Sub-Region for lack of ability by our local farmers to meet the local and sub-regional needs resulted in “Imported Inflation” we are experiencing today. Mr. President and the National Economic Team are fully aware of these facts and are putting serious measures in place to curb insecurity, boost local production and as much as possible stabilize the Naira to ease operational costs.
“Secondly, the attribution of the brain behind the Rivers State Political Crisis to the FCT Minister as erroneously stated by Mr. Dele Momodu is grossly misleading and a reflection of the deep seated bias of Mr. Dele Momodu against the Person of the FCT Minister, Chief Barr. E.N.Wike.
“We wish state for the record that Governor Fubara and Members of the Rivers State are products of the Hon. FCT Minister, Chief Barr. E N. Wike, who from the inception of this crisis have always stood in, interceded for Peaceful Resolution of the issue and protected the interests of the two factions in the political debacle.
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“This stance by the FCT Minister resulted in the Presidential Peace Pact which was signed by all Parties in the matter. As the Chief Executive with the State Resources, the bulk of responsibilities lied on Governor Sim Fubara as clearly stated in the Presidential Peace Pact to immediately close ranks, make Peace with the House of Assembly Members and work harmoniously, rather it was Gov. Fubara himself who midway to the implementation of the Presidential Peace Pact reneged and called the Presidential Peace Pact “unconstitutional”.
“Why therefore is Mr. Dele Momodu blaming the FCT Minister for actions he should be blaming his friend and political ally, Governor Sim Fubara for? It is this Grand Standing attitude of Governor Sim Fubara that has escalated and created the “Big Gulf” in the Political Crisis in Rivers State that we see and know today.
“The Arewa Youths for Peaceful Coexistence urges the Hon. Minister of the FCT, Chief Barr. E N. Wike, CON, GSSRS not allow himself to be distracted in his good works, and therefore requests Mr. Dele Momodu to refrain henceforth from casting negative aspersions on the Hon. FCT Minister as evidenced in his malicious misrepresentation of the facts in the Rivers State Political Crisis,” the statement read.