BY Taiwo George
Ziakede Akpobolokemi, director-general of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), has given the All progressives Congress (APC) 72 hours to avoid litigation for impugning the integrity of the agency.
Speaking at a press conference in Lagos on Sunday, Akpolobolokemi (pictured) said that out of fear of losing the general election, APC has orchestrated “blatant lies and trivialised issues of national importance on the altar of political grandstanding”.
“It is very embarrassing that the APC has described NIMASA as the ATM of President Goodluck Jonathan,” he said.
“For God’s sake, if a political party is smelling defeat in the nearest future, then it should go and confront its problem and insulate us from any form of politicking.
“In what has become a deliberate, orchestrated attempt to undermine and rubbish all performing and strategic institutions of the federal government of Nigeria, the APC has mounted relentless attack and various propaganda, all in the name of politics to attack the Nigerian army, police, directorate of state security service, NNPC and its latest victim – NIMASA.
“The unfortunate allegations have mutated over time, culminating in their rather callous and condescending attempts to variously described NIMASA as the president’s ATM, and now labelling us as the sponsors of hate campaigns against its presidential candidate.”
Warning the party to retract the allegations against it within 72 hours or risk legal action, Akpobolokemi maintained that the agency is not a political organization.
“It must be echoed for record purposes that NIMASA is not a political party. We will therefore not be dragged into malicious politicking by our accusers,” he said.
“We will challenge them and we have instructed our solicitors to give them 72 hours to retract their unfounded allegations and offer an apology or NIMASA would take legal action against the party.
He further said the organisation has been consistent in meeting its obligation and has combated illicit activities such as oil theft and piracy and transformed the maritime sector.
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