Don’t Rock Jonathan’s Boat, Forum Tells Diezanii
Nigeria’s Petroleum Minister, Mrs. Diezani Allison-Madueke
In a strong worded press statement, President of the Forum, Deremo Peters from Bayelsa State and the Secretary, Timi Cap from Delta State accused the Petroleum Minister of working against the interest of the oil-rich Niger Delta region.
“The Petroleum Minister, Mrs. Diezani Allison-Madueke is undermining the development of the oil-rich Niger Delta region; she is a total failure to the Niger Delta struggle,” the Forum said.
According to the Forum, since the Petroleum Minister came on board, she has done nothing positive to the development of the neglected oil-rich Niger Delta region, saying that; “We expected her to develop the Forum so that we can as well develop our people.”
“Before she was appointed as Petroleum Minister, most of the members of the Forum have started building capacity to work with the oil companies, but when she came in as Petroleum Minister, the situation became worse for us because instead of encouraging those of us that have invested to build up capacity, she started giving out jobs to her old friends in Shell from the West, East and North, turning her back on her own people from the South-South,” they said in their statement.
The Forum challenged her to speak out if she has contributed anything to empower the Ijaws since her appointment and implored her to either shape in or out with her ‘cartel’.
“We all know that qualified contractors in Ijaw nation that can work in Oil and Gas both in onshore and offshore are not hiding, but we have not been empowered by the Petroleum Minister. President Jonathan did a good thing by appointing one of our own as the Petroleum Minister so as to solve the poverty in the oil-rich region, but the reverse is the case. The Local Content Policy as far as we are concerned only favour the Minister and her cartel and if you are not in their cartel, nobody will look your way,” the Forum stated and advised President Jonathan to appoint Ministers that can spread his goodluck to the grassroots.
“So that poverty-stricken people of the Niger Delta region will benefit and know that their son is really the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” they added.
The South-South Ijaw Contractors Forum (Oil & Gas) also took up the Minister on the distribution of petroleum products and major construction works.
According to them; “The Petroleum Minister must be transparent in the distribution of petroleum products; let no cartel hijack the process and also we want to see fairness in the award of contract in the Oil and Gas industry.
Our people should be favoured in Oil/Gas pipelines work as well as installation of oil platform jacket; all these projects should be given to the locals that have invested to build capacity and not to be given to Saipem, Daewoo, OPI and Acergy. These companies have nothing to contribute to the Nigerian economy; they can only contribute to the treasury of those stealing our money and taking the money to foreign countries.”
The Forum added that; “If you give Nigerian contractors from the Niger Delta region these projects, they will develop their communities and give employment to our people; this is why we are saying that the Petroleum Minister has not done anything with the golden opportunity given to her by the President, she is a total failure to the Niger Delta struggle and she must not rock the boat for President Jonathan.”
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