A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, Chief Tari Emberru, has debunked reports linking the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Abraham Ingobere, with a recently arrested militant and sea piracy group.
Emberru faulted a Facebook post that alleged the Speaker’s involvement with the criminal gang, describing it as false, malicious and politically motivated.
The APC chieftain, who holds the traditional title of Chief of Buo-ama in Akassa, said the allegation was a calculated attempt at political blackmail by faceless individuals.
In a statement entitled, ‘When Silence Becomes Betrayal,’ issued in Hurubo Polo, Buo-ama Kingdom, Akassa Clan, Emberru said: “The claim against the Bayelsa Speaker is cheap, vexatious, infantile and shameful. The Facebook posting carries all the trappings of an ignorant political blackmail against the person of Mr. Speaker, Rt. Hon. Abraham Ingobere and it is a joke taken too far by some unscrupulous, nefarious, faceless persons seeking to achieve pecuniary benefits.”
He expressed concern that the video used to propagate the allegation was done in the Akassa dialect, allegedly from his hometown, adding that it was laughable to see faceless persons prodding a criminal to do their bidding.
Emberru said desperate politicians who are unpopular at the grassroots have resorted to tarnishing the image of perceived opponents ahead of elections.
He described the Speaker as an upright man, capacity builder and community developer who has contributed to the growth of Akassa and Bayelsa State at large.
The chieftain urged the people of Akassa (Akaha Ibe) not to keep silent in the face of attempts to destroy their foremost political leader.
“Silence becomes betrayal when you, as an Akassa person, will join hands with political jobbers and faceless individuals to destroy your own and dim your light just to pacify these merchants of evil,” he said.
He therefore condemned the allegation in its entirety and cautioned Akassa people against acts capable of causing division in the clan.
