The Ijaw Youth Council, IYC Worldwide has clarified that its call for the redeployment of the Minister of State for Petroleum (Oil) Dr. Heineken Lokpobiri, is not driven by parochial sentiment but by a genuine desire to address issues plaguing the petroleum sector.
The apex Ijaw Youth body in a statement emphasised that Lokpobiri’s continuous stay in the office, despite lacking expertise, is making life difficult for Niger Delta people and the country.
The statement signed by Maobuye Nangi Obu, the IYC Secretary-General; Comrade Miracle Iyaye, National Women Leader; Tamunotonye David Altraide, National Legal Adviser and Comrade Abiye Bob-Manuel, National Deputy Director of Mobilization, denied calling for Lokpobiri’s removal as minister and instead urged him to be redeployed to a ministry where he can utilize his experience.
IYC officials stated that Lokpobiri’s lack of capacity and technical know-how was eroding the gains of President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and advised him to address issues causing hardship for Nigerians.
The council suggested that Lokpobiri should explain the current crisis in the petroleum sector and circumstances surrounding the Warri and Port Harcourt refineries.
The statement reads, “We are not attacking the personality of the Minister and we are not saying that he is not an illustrious son of the Ijaw nation.
“All we are saying is that the Minister is occupying an office he knows nothing about and that he lacked the knowledge to confront the issues bedeviling the oil subsector of the petroleum industry. His lack of capacity and technical know-how is eroding the gains of President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
“Our observations have been confirmed by the President of Host Communities of Nigeria Producing Oil and Gas, HOSTCOM, High Chief Benjamin Tamaranebi, when he led members of his organisation to visit the Leader of Pan Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF, Chief Edwin Clark, at the weekend.
“Instead of embarking on a witch-hunt against us, we advise the Minister to sit up and address issues causing hardship for Nigerians and giving President Tinubu’s administration a bad name.”
The Council said it only wanted the Minister to be posted to a ministry where he could utilize his experience and recalled that Lokpobiri performed better when he was the Minister of State for Agriculture.
The council insisted that in developed countries, ministers who discovered that forces were stopping them from discharging their duties either sought redeployments or resign from their offices.
The officials said being a Minister in a critical subsector like oil, which is the nucleus of the Nigerian economy, without having the powers to call the shots, would continue to give the occupant of such office a bad name.
“Our statement was not borne out of any parochial sentiment. We have the highest regard for the Minister having served in different capacities. But what we are saying is that his continuous stay in the Ministry is making things more difficult for people of the Niger Delta and Nigerians.
“What we expected was for the issues we raised to be addressed. But sadly, political jobbers and some expired politicians have jumped in to catch on to the issue and milk the Minister dry. They want to milk him with the assurance of taming us. He should be weary of them.
“We also want to restate that we didn’t call for his sack as some people have been saying. We only ask for his redeployment which is not out of place. He did far better as Minister of State for Agriculture so if this current position is overwhelming then he should be moved to another ministry.
“We have said that we will not support a non-Bayelsan or ijaw to occupy that office. So, even if he is redeployed we are advocating for his replacement to come from the Ijaw ethnic nationality.
“Those attributing our position to be a declaration of war between the Eastern and Central zones are missing the point. We will not condescend to their absurd level of reasoning and thinking.
“We want to be personal, there are too many things before us that we will unleash but we don’t want to go there. We call on the Honorable Minister to explain to Nigerians what is going on with the Port Harcourt and Warri Refineries and also tell those around him not to aggravate issues.”
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