C’River APC Suspends Niger Delta Minister, Wants Him Expelled

Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Pastor Usani Usani

The Cross River chapter of the All Progressive Party, APC, has announced the immediate and indefinite suspension of the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Pastor Usani Usani from the party.

The Acting State Chairman of the Party, Chief John Ochalla, told journalists on Saturday evening that the decision to suspend the Minister was taken and ratified in the meetings of both the state working committee and the state executive committee, which held earlier on the same day.

According to the State Acting Chairman of the party, the suspension of Usani is indefinite and with immediate effect for acts of indiscipline, anti-party activities and insubordination.

He further disclosed that Usani has also been recommended to the National Executive Committee for subsequent expulsion from the party.

Ochalla said Usani was found culpable on acts of indiscipline and deliberately causing disaffection among party members by calling and sponsoring illegal meetings all aimed at getting a substantive State Chairman of the party who would do his bidding.

He recalled that some time last year the Minister escaped suspension when the state working committee decided to keep his case in view after he pleaded for understanding when an investigation to some wrongful acts by some members revealed that he was behind the acts of most of those members who were found guilty and suspended from the party.

He said that, “the Minister ran to us and pleaded for understanding and we shelved his suspension at that time but he has refused to turn a new leaf and in the last two weeks he has been holding meetings that are unlawful and promoting gross disaffection among members.

When confronted with the fact that the said meeting of the state executive committee ended abruptly due to revolts by some members, he admitted that he ended the meeting which was attended by the South South Vice Chairman, Ntufam Hilliard Eta, because of some security situation but that the decision to suspend the Minister had been ratified before the crisis erupted.

Usani is a former Chairman of the Party in the state and the Acting Chairman Ochalla served under him as Deputy and took over on acting capacity, which has lasted for two years.

“We had an emergency meeting which had to do with indiscipline among some other issues within the party. Majorly, what we took in the meeting had to do with the formation of caucuses across the state and also the issue of indiscipline, which is fueled by the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs.

“With the powers invested on the state working committee, we had no choice but to invoke the tenets of the constitution which is the suspension of the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs and recommend his expulsion to the national,” he said.

Source : Independent