By Onomiguren Agbamu
Delta State Commissioner for youth development, Agbateyiniro Weyinmi has said those who attempted to defraud the state with claims of unexisting world Bank fund for youths in the state are blackmailing him for caughting up with them.
Agbateyiniro Weyinmi, alleged that those persons in the disguise of working with the World Bank, Bank of Africa, NEXIM and AFREXIM Banks, tried to defraud the State but were exposed and now spreading rumours in attempt to blackmail him.
The commissioner stated this in reaction to a recent report of alleged slapped and punched to his media aide, Toju Apoh, who brought a visitor’s form to him in the office.
According to the commissioner, “the crux of this whole report was that recently, a gang of four invaded the State claiming they were bringing investment and fund from World Bank for the development of the youths.
“They also promised to bring more from bank of Africa, NEXIM and AFREXIM Banks. But surprisingly when they were taken to the office of the Honourable Commissioner of Economic Planning and were subjected to relevant scrutiny and crucibles were found not to be whom they claimed or what they represent.
“Accordingly, Commissioner for Economic Planning ordered them to be arrested for further interrogation, in order not to interfere with the smooth investigation being conducted by the police, their names won’t be mentioned here. However, the State Police Command can be contacted for details”.
He lamented that since the unfortunate incident occured, it has been one form of harassment, ranging from blackmail, intimidation, phone calls or the other.
He disclosed that “just a day after they were released, they mobilized to destroy things in my office from where again, one of them was rearrested by the Secretariat security and taken to GRA Police Station, Asaba”.
He opined that the gale of blackmail was to distract the attention of the public from the substance of the case, stressing that such should be entirely disregarded.
He said: “Today, if it is not about stolen bags, it will be missing dollars in the bag. If it is not about slapping of aides, it will be about assault of aides or lack of tools to be used by aides or attendance of night club”.
While noting that no amount of blackmails would deter him or the police from getting to the root of the matter. He said: “there’s hardly anyone in the public service that does not know how government business work.
“If you do not have budget or raise memo on any item, you cannot get approval and if your memo is not convincing enough to get relevant approval, you will not get the approval.
“Therefore, the issues of welfare or lack of tools to work by anyone generated in the media is too trivial to join issues with and should be completely ignored.
He advised Delta youths to be mindful of whatever they do, “because, certainly, there will be legal consequences for all their actions”.
He noted that the recent media report, was a reflection of frustration occasioned by the solid and brickwalls, erected against those with sinister motive and agenda that want to access the present administration at all cost through the back door.
He anticipated that the frustration would be worse in the days ahead, “usually when a government is constituted, people try from several ends to position themselves and take strategically. While some do theirs with genuine intentions, others do theirs with entirely negative and bad intentions”.
He revealed that because of how the Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori-led administration is fortified, from all ends, no one with negative intention would be allowed to crack the government successfully.
While stating that maybe his only offence was to throw the activities of the Ministry of Youth Development widely open through his open door policy and accessibility, he said: “since I resumed office, there is hardly any youth or group of youths, that wants to access me whether at home, in the office, or public functions, be they students, ethnic youths, with physical challenges that have not accessed me.
“Do not also forget that this demography because of its peculiarity, is the demography where you find the good, bad and ugly. What majority of them do not know is that as open as our open door policy is, we have emplaced solid machineries with which we do scrutiny to properly situate all youths and the agenda they come with.
“Therefore, if you come with genuine intentions, you will be accommodated and given your right space but if you are profiled and discovered to be with sinister motive, you will definitely be placed where you belong”, he declared
He, therefore urged Deltans to shun all forms of rumour mongering,¹ misinformation and falsehood as they portend danger to all concerned, including the state and nation at large.
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