Group urges Lokpobiri to focus on ministerial duties over governorship ambition

The Ijaw Youths Council (IYC) Worldwide has advised Minister of Petroleum,(Gas), Heineken Lokpobiri, to set aside his governorship aspirations and focus on his ministerial responsibilities.

The IYC alleged that Lokpobiri is more focused on building support for his Bayelsa State governorship bid than on effectively executing his duties.

The statement, signed by top IYC officials, including Secretary-General Maobuye Nangi Obu, National Women Leader Comrade Miracle Iyaye, National Legal Adviser Tamunotonye David Altraide, and National Deputy Director of Mobilization Comrade Abiye Bob-Manuel, emphasized the need for Lokpobiri to prioritize the actualization of the Renewed Hope Agenda in the petroleum sub-sector.

The council observed that all the decisions the minister had taken especially in Bayelsa, his home state, were being influenced by his governorship interest.

“This for us is a distraction because it has made the minister to lose focus and concentration. How else do we explain his inability to address the chaos and myriads of problems in the oil sub-sector?” The council queried.

The council said the minister’s focus to fly the governorship flag of his party had also adversely impacted the operations and functions of the IYC, a non-political organisation.

IYC said: “The Minister is using his brother, who is the President of the council, to mobilize youth support for his ambition, thus attempting to turn IYC into a political group when it is not.

“This is the same President that cannot add his voice in the Rivers political crisis and stand by the governor who is our son because of his brother’s attachment to Siminalayi Fubara’s political rival.

“Lokpobiri is busy kowtowing and following instructions of persons he believes will help him actualise his ambition without considering the disadvantages of such actions to his office.

“His ministry requires full concentration and a display of grit and knowledge of the dynamism of the petroleum industry. There is no way someone with heavy governorship interest can discharge the functions of such office effectively”.

The council appealed to the minister to purge himself of his ambition and focus on his duties to enable him craft a firm and decisive path to resolve the problems in the sector.

The IYC insisted that the minister’s inability to address the issues in the oil sub-sector was the reason for increasing hardship in the country especially in rural and coastal communities in the Niger Delta.

“Oil is the major determinant of the country’s economy. Oil gives economic direction and guarantees stability of other sectors.

“Unfortunately, the chaos in that sector since the appointment of Minister Lokpobiri has created untold hardship in the country such as high prices of goods, services and other commodities; instability in exchange rate, high transportation cost among others, thereby making all genuine efforts of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu invisible to the people.

“We are, therefore, asking Minister Lokpobiri to stop distracting himself with his governorship ambition and face the functions of his ministry to address these problems and help the economy to recover.”