The Senator representing Rivers South-East Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Magnus Abe, has said the refusal of President Goodluck Jonathan to implement the recommendations of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report on Ogoni land forced him out of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
He said his decision to decamp to the All Progressives Congress (APC), was based on the belief that unlike the PDP, the APC would implement the recommendations of the UNEP report, when elected in 2015.
Senator Abe, who spoke in Port Harcourt, during a dinner in honour of Ogoni Young Professionals, organised by the Ogoni Generation Next Project (OGNP), said the delay in the implementation of the report was not the fault of the oil giant, Shell, but that of the Nigerian government.
“About two years ago, Shell told us during its Annual General Meeting in London that the $1billion for the clean-up of Ogoni environment was ready and now left for the government to move into action. I have met with the minister several times over the issue and Governor Amaechi, who carried same to President Jonathan, but nothing happened,” he stated.
“Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who initiated the remediation move is not from the Niger Delta; late Yar’adua, who signed the Federal Government’s resolve to implement whatever be the outcome of the investigation is not from the Niger Delta, but someone, who is from the Niger Delta region has refused to implement the UNEP report,” the Senator noted.
Said he: “I cannot continue to belong to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) when those who are in-charge of the party have refused to attend to the needs of my people. I decided to leave because of their refusal to implement the UNEP report on Ogoni.”
“The Bible says withhold not good of another person when it is in the power of thy hand to do it. That money is there and it is in the power of their hand to do it and they have withheld it from us. So, that is what is going on; it is nothing other than politics against our people and I have responded by leaving their party for the APC.”
Senator Abe regretted that Nigerian political leaders seem not to be bothered about the issue of gas flaring and how to end it because it concerns the ordinary people, pointing out that the only way to end such insensitivity was to fight for change by voting out the PDP.
“As long as you ignore errors in government actions and policies, you can do whatever you like; but once you draw attention to flaws in the system, government will appear. So, that is what the Nigerian people need to change.”

Why I dumped PDP –Abe