Trust deficit in NPF and govt: Azo

NEPS KOHIMA, NOVEMBER 18 Senior DAN minister Kuzholuzo (Azo) Nienu has attributed the current political development in the NPF and the State government mainly to ‘trust deficit’ and ‘rumours’. Azo was relieved of Parliamentary Affairs portfolio as also the chief whip of the NPF recently. Talking to NEPS here Tuesday, the minister said actions were taken against him when he was away in the national capital for departmental works (road projects) on the basis of rumours and because of “trust deficit’ among the party and the government. Azo said the unfortunate trend of “trust deficit” has become an easy weapon for the rumour mongers to create more confusion in the State. The entire situation was fully exploited by those with vested interests to weaken the strong foundation of the NPF, the regional political party, and the government. he maintained. Asked about his remark that the NPF had lost “regional principles” at the recently concluded Phek district NPF division convention at Pfutsero, the minister said his core points stated during the convention were not properly elaborated. “What I said was to strengthen the party by throwing a challenge to the party’s rank and file to live to the ideals of regionalism,” he said. Azo, who was centre of suspicion for the current political turmoil in the State, further asserted that he was the one who had engineered the resolution at the Pfutsero convention with an aim to reaffirm and strengthen the hands of Chief Minister TR Zeliang and NPF president Dr Shurhozelie and the ideals of regionalism as he was the minister in-charge of NPF Phek division. The minister urged the party workers not to believe in rumour mills but to work hard to do away with the “trust deficit” in order to have a strong and stable government, saying this is the need of the hour. Accepting the party’s decision on relieving him of the charge of Parliamentary Affairs and party chief whip, the minister, as a regional loyalist, said, “What was done to me should not be done to any other legislators in the greater interest of the party and the government.” Do not believe in rumours: Noke Veteran regionalist and Minister for PHE Noke Wangnao has today called upon the NPF party workers not to believe in rumours that have been doing the rounds for the last few weeks in the State plunging the State into political chaos and creating confusion in the minds of the general public. Talking to NEPS here Tuesday, the senior DAN Minister admitted that there had been a lot of misunderstandings among the NPF legislators as well as among the party workers creating sharp divisions among them. He regretted the ongoing political development based on ‘rumours’ in the State while making it clear that he joined the NPF, one of the oldest regional parties in the whole of Northeast, with regional ideology. “I am still with that ideology and will continue to remain loyal to the leadership of the party and its ideology,” he asserted. Noke also said rumours would only give advantage to other political rivals and weaken one’s own party. He further appealed to the party workers to work hard to strengthen the leadership of Chief Minister TR Zeliang as well as the NPF party.