By Ayo Yusuf
The appointment of a former minister of state for Agriculture and Rural Development, Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri, as the new Minister of State for Petroleum Resources has generated mixed reactions.
Mr Lokpobiri is one of the 45 ministerial nominees of President Bola Tinubu recently confirmed by the Senate and later given the petroleum portfolio as minister of State.
As no one has been named to the substantive position of Minister of Petroleum it is presumed that President Tinubu himself intends to hold unto that portfolio like former president Muhammadu Buhari did before him.
While groups and people from Niger Delta appeared quite pleased with Mr Lokpobiri’s portfolio especially as he comes from the oil producing state of Bayelsa , others think that giving the portfolio to someone from the Niger Delta region gives the wrong signal and promotes a sense of entitlement in people from that area.
One of those who saidSen. Lokpobiri’s portfolio was well deserved isthe Executive Director for Project, Obodofei Integrated Services, Mr Ken Embelede who Friday, thanked President Tinubu for finding an industrious son of Ijaw land worthy to serve in his cabinet.
He said Mr. Lokpobiri’s nomination is a true example of a round peg in a round hole, noting that he has a lot to offer in expanding the developmental frontiers of the country, going by his track record as a former state Assembly member, former member of the Senate and former Minister under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
According to Ken Embelede, Lokpobiri stands out because of his long years of administrative and managerial acumen which he would still bring to bear in contributing to the Renewed Hope agenda of the President.
“No doubt one of the shinning stars from the NigerDelta, Sen. Lokpobiri personifies experiential capacity that has transversed both the executive and legislative arms of government.
“As a member of the Nigerian Senate, Lokpobiri Sponsored the Elderly Persons bill, and is willing to give legal support, welfare and recreational facilities to elderly people in the country.
“He made outstanding contributions in the legislative and oversight businesses of the hallowed chamber in various committees he belonged to, including Sports, Public Accounts, Police Affairs, Niger Delta, Millennium Development Goals, Water Resources, and Solid Minerals.
“As an expert in Environmental Rights and Environmental Law, he has counseled the government on global standard practices, which has further enhanced a harmonious relationship between oil-bearing communities in Niger Delta and the federal government.
“We have no doubt that as Minister for Petroleum Resources, he will perform with remarkable footprints for the overall benefit of all Nigerians,” Mr. Embelede stated.
However, the National Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Yabagi Sani, disagrees with the trend of appointing people from the south south that particular portfolio because it makes it appear that only people from the oil-rich Niger Delta region are entitled to hold the position.
Mr. Sani, who was a guest on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily breakfast programme on Thursday, said that limiting the appointment to a particular state would trigger a sense of entitlement amongst the people of the Niger Delta.
He recalled that all these follows the same pattern displayed in the former administration of ex-President Muhammadu Buhari who also reserved the Ministry of Petroleum Resources to himself and appointed a former Bayelsa State governor, Timipre Sylva as Minister of State for Petroleum Resources.
Commenting on the implications of this sort of appointments, Mr Yabagi Sani 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.
“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 a very important ministry,” he said.
“What do we do about fighting crude oil theft?” he asked. “Crude oil theft endemically is perpetrated – from what we heard so far is from the people from that area.”
Mr. Sani also frowns at the situation whereby the president appoints himself the petroleum portfolio urging that the job should be looked into from a professional point of view and a national interest point of view.
He said the responsibilities of the President are already too weighty and critical for him to join that with the work of the minister of Petroleum.
He lamented that if the ministry is reserved to the president, there may later be lingering issues on accountability and efficiency in fighting crude oil theft.
“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 to be chased out as quickly as we can,” he said.
