FORMER Federal Capital Territory Minister, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, and some ex-militant leaders, have come under the sledge hammer of Chief Ateke Tom, himself a former militant leader too.
Ateke told AkanimoReports in a telephone interview on Thursday, that the former minister who is also a chieftain of the All Progressive Congress (APC) is jobless, and desperately seeking attention.
El-Rufai drew the ire of the ex-militant leader when he reportedly claimed that Ateke demanded N2.00 billion from Governor Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers State, to dump the Abuja group in the unsettling crisis rocking the state.
”I cannot work for Amaechi, no matter the situation. The Rivers governor has an issue to settle with me”, Ateke said, claiming that the issue Governor Amaechi has with him, had to do with an alleged plot to subvert the administration of Sir Celestine Omehia.
Continuing, he said, ”at the moment, i am pre-occupied with issues that will bring about tangible development to the Rivers people, re-election of President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015, and the transformation of the Niger Delta.
”It is very unfortunate that the jobless El-Rufai, decided to run his mouth wide this time. I cannot work for his APC. I think, he (El-Rufai) should look for better thing to do for himself than always hiding behind a computer to seek attention”.
On some of the ex-militant leaders who are pressing for the sack of the Chair of the Amnesty Programme and Presidential Adviser on Niger Delta Affairs, Kingsley Kuku, Ateke said, ”it is indeed true that an idle mind is the devil’s workshop. I think, it is an irresponsibility of the highest order for those who know next to nothing about the workings of the amnesty programme, to demand for the sack of a noble son of the Niger Delta who is doing us proud.
”Kuku has successfully managed the programme. He has excelled in the area of human capital development. He has done well for the Niger Delta particularly in some key sectors like aviation, engineering among others. Unlike in some other climes, the programme has so far not recorded any death.
”My candid advice to those after Kuku, is to honestly seek better ways of improving their lot than constitute themselves into nuisance. I don’t think they have any nuisance value as far as the amnesty programme is concerned”.
