A new twist appears to have pervaded  the polity in the south-south region as a non-governmental body has raised the alarm   on unnamed politicians raising blackmail syndicates for pecuniary motives.

Specifically, the group Niger Delta Harmony Group (NDHG) said, Governors Emmanuel Uduaghan and Chibuke Amaechi of Delta and Rivers states respectively, have been targets of the syndicate.

In a statement released on Friday and signed by Comrade Ebiotu Joe-Mene and Dr. Martins Akporode, National Coordinator and Public Relations Officer respectively, the group painted a graphic picture of how Amaechi and Uduaghan were almost roped in, while former governor of Bayelsa state, Timipre Sylva faced his ordeal in the runup to the governorship primary of the Peoples Democratic Party in the state.

Governor Uduaghan of Delta state said, he had no enemies to fight, insisting that there was nothing on ground to warrant such onslaught against him.

But NDHG’s outburst came on the heels of recent media attack on the Niger Delta Minister, Godsday Orubebe by an Itsekiri youth leader, Comrade Ayiri Emami who accused the minister of lopsided citing of projects in the region in some national dailies (Tribune Titles excluded).

Saturday Tribune’s attempts to get the reaction of the minister were fruitless as he neither picked calls nor responded to text messages made in that regards.

NDHG’s statement said in part:

“It has become very imperative for us to raise  the alarm about the existence of a blackmail syndicate in the Niger Delta region. The syndicate, whose focus is to play up inter-ethnic sentiments, thereby causing friction between/among politicians in the region has become the new trend aimed at returning the region to its ugly, inglorious conflict-ridden past.

“For the avoidance of doubt, faces behind this new wave are out to use a possible crisis situation as a means of making money as they have always done under such unfortunate situations.

“In the last two months, cronies of these unpatriotic elements have been going about, reaching out to possible preys they intend to use, through their genuinely established bodies, to link politicians with certain occurrences in the nation.

“At first, such individuals intended to rope in Governors Chibuike Amaechi and Emmanuel Uduaghan as the master minds of anti-fuel subsidy removal protests. Later, they almost lured unsuspecting NGOs to accuse the duo and other prominent politicians in the region as those backing former governor, Timipre Sylva in his travails with his party.

“Having failed in these directions, the same individuals have commenced another incredulous move to link the Delta State Government, especially Governor Uduaghan with the recent media attack on Niger-Delta Minister, Elder Godsday Orubebe by Niger Delta activist, Comrade Ayiri Emami.

“Our take is not the merits or otherwise of the activist’s claims. Our concern stems from the continued desperation of this group in its bid to link the governor by using credible organizations in the region as we have it good authority that persons who claim to be acting in good faith have offered large sum of cash just to impugn the integrity and character of the governor,” the statement read in part.

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