Agriculture Minister, Heineken Lokpobori Denies He Paid For His Ministerial Appointment

The Minister of State for Agriculture, Senator Heineken Lokpobori has debunked the allegations that has been making the rounds that he got his ministerial appointment on the platter of financial negotiations and that he is not a member of the party, describing it as an “outright fabrication”.

He added that like other appointees in President Muhammadu Buhari’s cabinet, he was duly considered worthy to be so appointed in his position.

This was contained in a press statement signed by the Minister’s Special Assistant (Media), Donald Ojogo and issued in Abuja, yesterday.

The Minister said that the response became necessary in the view of the deliberate fabrication of lies and misrepresentation of facts on the part of those who have allowed themselves to be used in the blackmail venture.

The statement reads in part: “the Hon Minister of State for Agriculture, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri never got his appointment on the platter of financial negotiations as expressly insinuated by the suspended State chairman of the APC in Bayelsa State, Chief Tiwei Oruminigha and his cohorts.

“like other appointees of Mr President, Senator Lokpobiri was duly considered worthy to be so appointed in his position.

“it is a clear case of misrepresentation of facts to insinuate that former governor of Bayelsa who is the leader of the APC in Bayelsa State, Chief Timipre Sylva collected money from the Hon minister before his appointment as minister. This is an outright fabrication.

“reference by Tiwei Orunimigha to statements purportedly made by Hon minister in the build up to the 2015 elections ?that he (Lokpobiri) never believed in the ability of the APC and its then presidential candidate (now president), Muhammadu Buhari to win election is nothing but an exhibition of either some form of delusion or incurable amnesia.

“the Hon Minister’s political affinity with President Muhammadu Buhari dates back to 2003 when he was the senatorial candidate of the defunct All Nigerian Peoples Party ( ANPP) fro Bayelsa West Senatorial District.

“He had vigorously campaigned for him to be president then. The assertion by Orunimigha can only be a fictionalised sermon heightened by defeated expectations. It is therefore a blackmail that cannot stand the test of time. It is neither capable of distracting the Hon minister.”