The Media Consultant to the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Donu Kogbara, who stated this in a statement on sunday, noted that detractors were desperate to smear Ndiomu’s image and had recruited blackmailers to carry out a campaign of calumny against him.
Kogbara said the blackmailers had churned out series of unsubstantiated and false reports against the interim amnesty boss to damage his image and pitch him against key stakeholders in the Niger Delta region.
She said the first of their vicious attacks was recycled libelous reports claiming that Ndiomu was demanding kickbacks from a suspected dubious PAP contractor.
While describing the allegation as puerile, ridiculous and false, she insisted that there was no iota of truth in the report.
“Our attention has been drawn to libelous reports targeting Maj.-Gen Barry Tariye Ndiomu (rtd), the Interim Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme.
“Some unnamed ex-militant leaders from the nine states of the Niger Delta region reportedly accused Ndiomu of corruption in a ridiculous petition that they addressed to the National Security Adviser, Major General. Mohammed Mongonu (rtd).
“The allegations revolve around 15 companies owned by a vendor, who was awarded several contracts by a previous coordinator of the programme and is currently engaged in a performance-related legal dispute with PAP. The matter is subjudice.
“The matter was in court even before Ndiomu was appointed the interim administrator and it beats the imagination of everyone how the sponsors of these vicious reports tried to link Ndiomu, to such matter,” the statement read.
It added, “We are aware that some corrupt elements don’t want any change and transformation in PAP.
“They want the programme to remain business as usual and having seen that Ndiomu was appointed with high recommendations based on his track records of service and performance to bring the required transformation of PAP, they started early to discredit him.
“We are calling on members of the public to wary of such reports and to disregard the falsehood being peddled against the interim administrator, who assumed office with uncommon determination and commitment to do the right things for PAP in line with the agenda to promote growth and development of the Niger Delta.”
Kogbara said Ndiomu’s appointment was based on his incorruptible character, integrity and discipline shaped by his military background adding that forthrightness propelled him to rise to the pinnacle of his career in the Nigerian Army.
“Ndiomu has always been a patriot and man of unimpeachable character. He will not allow himself to be distracted by disreputable elements, who are desperate to tarnish his good name because they have failed to rope him into clandestine fraudulent partnerships,” she added.
