Acting President Yemi Osinbajo being received by Rivers State monarchs at the Port Harcourt International Airport in continuation of Federal Government’s dialogue with Niger Delta people…yesterday<br />
Speaking during the town hall meeting organised by the Acting President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, to seek ways of restoring peace in the Niger Delta, a member of Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Otekong Idongesit Nkanga, stressed that the review would settled once and for all the rightful owner of ALSCON.
He noted that the review would create room for sustainable operation of the company, thereby creating job opportunities for the teeming youths of Akwa Ibom, Niger Delta and Nigeria. The two federal government companies have not worked optimally since their privatisation.
ALSCON is involved in ownership problem, which had always led to its closure, while NNMC has not taken off since it was bought over about seven years ago.
The former military governor of the state further call on the federal government to respect the agreement it reached with the state government on taking over and completion of the Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility at the state airport, saying such would also be another avenue of creating employment for Nigerians youths.
Other demands include completion of the East-West road, relocation of multinational oil and gas companies’ headquarters to the state and the region.
Chief Nduese Essien, speaking on behalf of the oil producing communities in the state, described the neglect and marginalisation of Akwa Ibom people as “another case of man’s inhumanity to other man.”
Meanwhile, granting most of the request from the people of Akwa Ibom, The Federal Government has directed that International oil companies (IOCs) operating in the country to relocate their headquarters to their operational base, noting that, this was the best thing to dAccording to him, this move would reduce tension with the host communities and lead to reduction of youth restiveness in the area also. He urged the Minister of State Petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu to accordingly engage the International Oil Companies on a way forward.
The Acting President hinted that the Ministry of Petroleum is collaborating with major oil companies on several initiatives including working on illegal refineries to establish modular refineries to produce much better petroleum products.
On the issue of amnesty for the people in the state, Osinbajo said the Ministry of Petroleum and Amnesty office are with the state governments on providing the same benefits of amnesty to the young people in the state.
On the Ibaka deep seaport, the Acting President said is a project the Federal Government also takes very seriously. “As a matter of fact, in the 2017 budget, there is already a provision for the Ibaka port; there’s already N1billion provision. It is a matter we take seriously to partner with the Akwa Ibom State Government.”
He urged the state governments to attract private investment in their states to create opportunity for the unemployed. “The biggest benefit we can obtain is private development; opportunity state governments can provide is only a fraction to what investment can bring. Private investment is a driver of progress everywhere in the word,” he said.
Earlier, Governor Udom Emmanuel had appealed to the Federal Government to integrate Akwa Ibom indigenes that were left out in the amnesty programmes among other many requests.
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