National Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Yabagi Sani has said that appointing a Minister of State for Petroleum Resources from the Niger Delta is a ‘wrong signal’.
Sani made the claim when he appeared on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily breakfast programme on Thursday.
He believed that the decision could lead to a sense of entitlement among the people of the oil-rich region.
President Bola Tinubu recently appointed Heineken Lokpobiri as Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, however, remained silent on the portfolio of the Minister of Petroleum Resources.
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The IPAC chair said:
“Unfortunately, this sector (Niger Delta) has been made to look as if people that should be appointed to that ministry should come from Niger Delta.
It is a wrong signal because, when you now give people a sense of entitlement their efficiency becomes something that is not given due attention to.
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“I think we must change that scenario, but if he must do that – not because I am from the North Central – why don’t you give Federal Capital Territory to an indigene of North Central? – if you must be sensational about such very important ministry.
“What do we do about fighting crude oil theft?
“Crude oil theft endemically is perpetrated – from what we heard so far is from the people from that area.”
To Sani, the petroleum sector should be examined with both a professional and national interest perspective to ensure that the sector was managed efficiently and accountably.
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The IPAC chair also highlighted that the responsibilities of the President in the Ministry of Petroleum were weighty and critical.
As such, he mentioned, if the ministry was reserved for the President, addressing crude oil theft and improving accountability and efficiency could be difficult.
He said:
“I believe that that ministry is too important for the president to take as another responsibility for himself if that is the intention.
The reason is that we have seen the kind of drawbacks we have had in the economy itself as a result of the lack of proper management of that industry (oil and gas sector).
“The president that is already more than occupied now is taking the ministry that he is going to supervise it himself.
I am sure we may not see the result of what we want. What we want in that industry is for corruption must be chased out as quickly as we can.”
