A group, Nigerian Oil and Gas Indigenous Operators Association, NOGIOA, led by its Chairman Alhaji Galadima Auwal has alleged that Timi Frank who is described as an associate of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and an online news publisher, Jackson Ude are bent on sabotaging the progress being made by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, NCDMB, through a massive media attack and blackmail campaign against its Executive Secretary, Engr. Simbi Wabote.
The group noted that in its bid to extort public or private individuals, especially public office holders and appointees of President Buhari’s led federal government, the duo of Timi Frank and Jackson Ude has made a habit of constantly embarking on an inglorious mission and a campaign of calumny to either extort or where not successful, critically damage the reputation of their targets.
The group lamented as it regretted that many Nigerians have fallen prey to Jackson Ude and Timi Frank’s actions using their media platform of Point Blank News in perpetuating their heinous blackmails.
In a press statement made public on Wednesday, NOAGIOA alleged that as an associate of the Former Vice President of Nigeria, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Jackson Ude, and Timi Frank have proven to be bent on blackmailing the NCDMB Boss, Engr. Simbi Wabote.
The NOAGIA Chairman through the statement explained that it was quite unfortunate that instead of concentrating on proper investigative journalism, the duo of Timi Frank and Jackson Ude has chosen the part of perdition and have resorted to using the media as a tool for blackmail
The group worried that the intention of the duo of Ude and Frank was not to ensure accountability of public officers as they claim since there was no question of lack of accountability but they intend to malign, distract and ultimately sabotage the work of the NCDMB, a critical agency of government, through a vicious and vigorous media abuse and attack of its Executive Secretary, Engr. Wabote
‘‘Timi Frank the former Executive Publicity Secretary of AllProgressivesCongress, APC is also in on it, not forgetting that he is on self-exile due to questionable activities.
‘‘Painfully, this two are messing with a man who is focused on his work and should not be toiled with. I enjoin Jackson Ude and Timi frank to focus on the pending defamatory case brought against them and desist from media stunts as a means of distracting the court process.
‘‘Also let me add that for CNPP instead of them focusing on burning National issues at a time when Nigeria is faced with topical issues, they are busy collaborating with blackmailers. No right-thinking Civil Society Group should be in support of such questionable characters that are known to the Nigerian public as Timi Frank and Jackson Ude.
‘‘We are asking Engr. Wabote to not be distracted by persons with questionable character.
“So much negative publicity has come from this duo to President Buhari’s appointees and even his administration and how come the two have decided to now seek the president’s intervention against Engr. Wabote, someone performing excellently well to give the president’s administration a credible image.
“It is obvious that their actions have made them leave the country with a megalomaniac attitude which I insist that Nigerians should not take them seriously.
‘‘There are pictures all over the Social media of this two taking pictures with Atiku who we believe may not be unaware of their way of life.
‘’We however urge these two to focus on the case brought against them by Engr. Wabote in the USA court as we believe that the truth will stand the test of time and stop the diversionary tactics. Of course, he that alleges must prove, so let them, go and provide proof’’
“As you may well know, Timi Frank has no pedigree. He was a tea boy at Government House when the Late DSP Alamieyeseigha was Governor. He never went to any University
“As for Jackson Ude was recruited by Late Oronto Douglas to work in his office as Special Adviser on Research and Documentation, he never worked directly with Former President Goodluck Jonathan as he always claims” the statement concluded.