This is a press statement from the office of PDP.
The attention of the Office of the National Publicity Secretary has been
drawn to a press statement by persons purporting to be officials of PDP
Staff Welfare Association, wherein they engaged in direct attack and
threats on the person of the National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa
Metuh.
From all indications, those behind the
statement chose to drift from issues and narrowed on the National
Publicity Secretary. This is not unexpected given the role of the
National Publicity Secretary in the rebuilding of our great party and
how uncomfortable the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has been
for his outspokenness.
We are aware that the anti-PDP forces
have easily found a handful of disgruntled PDP staffs as willing tools
to attack Chief Metuh with a view to bringing him to public odium,
distract him and deny our party a credible voice to propagate its
positions. These forces had even gone to the extent of engineering some
discontented PDP members to portray statements by the National Publicity
Secretary as his personal opinions in the attempt to discredit and
intimidate him.
For the avoidance of doubt, we wish to state
categorically that the National Publicity Secretary will not be deterred
or detracted by such threats and cheap blackmails as he remains
committed to his role in the rebuilding of the PDP and in providing
firm, credible and issue based opposition to the ruling party.
This office would not join issues with these elements, however we make
bold to state that Chief Olisa Metuh, being aware of the challenges that
comes with his new role has offered himself, his office as well as all
his private companies for probe by the Department of State Services
(DSS) or any other government agency for that matter.
We also
find it laughable that anybody would criticise the recent PDP congresses
in Anambra and Kogi that have been widely applauded to be transparent
and credible as established by the peace and harmony that characterised
the processes. One also wonders how the issue of congresses helps the
case of welfare matters being pushed by the staff, if not for the
ulterior motive of destroying the PDP publicity.
The authors of
the press statement deliberately refused to appreciate Chief Olisa
Metuh’s immense contributions in the party and the fact that he became
the longest serving member of the National Executive Committee due to
hard work and the confidence members of the party repose on him as an
individual.
Finally, this office is happy that those after Chief
Olisa Metuh have for now, chosen to demand for investigation instead of
resorting to plots to assassinate him. However, we restate that the
National Publicity Secretary will not in any way be cowed or intimidated
by the threats, blackmails and attacks by anti-PDP forces to abandon
his mandate as spokesperson of our great party.
Signed:
Richard Ihediwa,
Special Assistant
to The National Publicity Secretary