A South South-based non-governmental organisation, the Niger Delta Media Activists Group and Excellent Leadership Foundation, wants President Bola Tinubu to implement Nigeria’s former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva’s vision for the nation to leverage its abundant gas resources to attain economic development, industrialisation, and achieve renewable energy goals.

The organisation’s position was contained in a felicitation statement released by its National Coordinator, Chief Izzi Yakiah, on Sunday to mark the 61st birthday anniversary of Sylva.

Chief Izzi’s statement affirmed that in the history of Nigerian politics, Sylva became the first politician to advocate for a gas-based economy, adding that the former legislator is an accomplished politician whose intellect and innovative drive have enhanced socio-economic standards and the stability of the Niger Delta region and the Nigerian state.

Appreciating Sylva for his dexterity on the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) and his sustained commitment to President Tinubu’s “Renewed Hope Agenda”, the NGO likened Sylva’s political philosophy of loyalty and focus to that of a democrat who believes in the new Nigeria project, adding that Sylva’s role in the formation stage of the All Progressives Congress is historic.

Wishing Sylva, his wife Alanyingi, and their children years of sound health and prosperity, the release recalled the celebrant’s model of empowerment, capacity building of young people, and his administrative prowess during the era of militancy in the Niger Delta.

This period saw consistent attacks on critical national assets, and his leadership laid the foundation for effective surveillance of oil and gas facilities in the creeks of the Niger Delta region, leading to a rise in daily oil production.

Commending Sylva for his visionary leadership that brought growth, stability, and a sound administrative structure to the All Progressives Congress in Bayelsa State, Yakiah said Sylva is the face of opposition politics in the Ijaw homogenous state and has used his influence to facilitate strategic appointments for Ijaw people during the struggle—especially when he served as Governor from 2007–2012 and Minister of Petroleum under President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

Congratulating the erstwhile Chairman, Governing Council of the Nigeria Maritime University, Okerenkoko, Delta State, for attaining the status of a sexagenarian in good health, the release praised Sylva’s spirit of tolerance and forgiveness in the face of political provocation, betrayal, and backstabbing since he assumed the position of leader of the APC Bayelsa Chapter.

Yakiah maintained that in the period of Sylva’s political adversity, occasioned by negative emotions and deliberate sabotage of the leadership of Bayelsa APC, the Okpoama-born politician recorded credible results. He led the party to impressive outcomes in the 2019 general elections, producing Chief David Lyon as Governor-elect, a Senator, and two members of the House of Representatives.

The statement noted that the same year, the Bayelsa APC under the leadership of Sylva scored 118,821 votes for President Muhammadu Buhari in the 2019 general elections—a result that turned out to be the highest APC received across the South and South-East states in Nigeria.