FOR TRYING TO DIMINISH HIS OFFICE, SEN. MAGNUS ABE MUST APOLOGISE TO DR. KACHIKWU

Nnamdi Okwufulueze Ofonye

Our attention has been drawn to the public demand of apology from the Honourable minster for state, Petroleum Dr. Ibe Kachikwu by Senator Magnus Abe over his expression on an issue which disagrees with that of his colleague, the Honourable minister of Transport, His excellency Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi.

I will want to state here that the demand of a public apology from Ibe Kachikwu on the grounds that he is a junior minister to Amaechi is unacceptable as a minister is a minister as each an every one of them was appointed as the eye of the President in their respective states.

I want to categorically remind Senator Magnus Abe that whether Ibe Kachikwu is a minister for state does not put him under Amaechi as they both represent their various ministries and also states at the FEC.

If this is true, then Magnus Abe should know that responsibility behoves on all of them to always agitate for whatever is due their various states and as such, the open but tactical disagreement with Amaechi on the closure of the nearly completed Maritime University Okerenkoko, delta state.

If not that Senator Abe is bent on currying cheap favour from his Boss Amaechi, there is not harm in the statement credited to Dr. Ibe Kachikwu who is also a son of delta state and who also serves as the link between the people of Delta state and the Presidency.

According to reports, he only stated the obvious after Amaechi had given reasons why the school has to be closed. Kachikwu said in summary " that the cost of the land used for the university was over bloated is not his to determine as the relevant agency is doing their work to unravel the level of corruption involved in it but we must not throw away the baby with the dirty bath water, stressing that the level of work and money put into infrastructures in the cite is too Much to be wasted and as such, added that if the transport ministry doesn't take it, the ministry of petroleum under him will take advantage of it and convert it."

If these were his statement, I wonder where calls for an apology comes from as demanded by Magnus Abe but for cheap popularity and political patronage.

However, in the face of this and to avoid a repeatation of such calls from other quarters or individuals in the future, it is important to put some records straight for those that pretend nor to know that a "Minister is a minister".

Having stated these and to cut the drama short, I call on Senator Magnus Abe to immediately and within 24 hours tender an unreserved apology to the Honourable minister of state for Petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu for deliberately trying to cajole and diminish his office in the eyes of Nigerians and also trying to create bad blood within and amongst the members of the federal cabinet of PMB as he has no business to interfere in the normal and constitutional business of the Ministers.

If there was need for such demand, it should and must not come from Magnus Abe but instead from Amaechi himself or from the body of Ministers, after all, he is not the official spokesperson of Amaechi..... And that is if he had insulted Amaechi but not when he only disagreed with his opinion on a matter that affects his state of Origin.

Nnamdi Okwufulueze Ofonye
Founder/ National cordinator
APC GRASSROOT ADVOCATES