MIFFED by the alleged failure of the Federal and Delta State Governments to keep their promise to dialogue with aggrieved ethnic nationalities over the ceding process of 57 Marginal Oil Fields, the Campaign for The Economic Survival of Urhobo Nation, CATESUN, has warned that they could no longer guarantee the safety of facilities in Urhobo land.
This was contained in a communiqué signed by CATESUN’s National President, Olorogun Ese Kakor, shortly after a meeting of the group at Otu-Jeremi, headquarters of Ughelli South Local Government Area, Delta State.
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Recall that Vice President Yemi Osinbajo had about two months ago met with the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, and the Delta State Deputy Governor, Mr Kingsley Otuaro, following threats by the ethnic nationalities to shut down oil and gas exploration activities in their domain over alleged cases of marginalisation and neglect.
The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources had explained that the meeting was organised to discuss the issues raised by the Urhobo people and others with the Vice President and promised to address the issues that led to the agitations to avoid escalation.
CATESUN, in the communique, expressed discontentment with what it described as the controversial process of ceding 57 Marginal Oil Fields to private investors, which excluded the Urhobo people from the process.
Demanding the reordering of the process and inclusion of their national interests, the group lamented that nothing meaningful had been heard from Chief Timipre Sylva and Delta State Deputy Governor, Barr. Kingsley Otuaro after
over two months of promised by the Federal and State governments to dialogue with the Urhobo people and other major oil-producing ethnic nationalities in Delta state,
hold us responsible for any hostility because we have done our part as responsible adults and youths to pacify our angry youths but it seems we can no longer continue with the plea since the federal and state governments have failed on the part of the bargain,” the communique emphasized.
Account for $16bn power fund, privatisation of assets or keep quiet ― APC tells Obasanjo, Atiku
The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has attacked former President Olusegun Obasanjo and his erstwhile deputy, Atiku Abubakar for their recent interventions in the polity, saying they ought to keep quiet having midwifed the current national rot.
The party in a statement by its Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Mr Yekini Nabena specifically asked Chief Obasanjo to account for $16 billion spent on the power sector during his time in office. It equally asked Atiku to account for the privatisation of national assets which it alleged were sold off to cronies.
While Obasanjo recently weighed in on the security situation in the country, berating the President Muhammadu Buhari led APC administration for not doing enough, Atiku on his part had condemned the recent hike in the pump price of Petroleum Motor Spirit PMS also known as petrol.
“It is baffling that the same political actors that midwifed and institutionalised the national rot, corruption, impunity and eroding of our value systems are the same characters posing as voices on the way forward in our national life. How ironic!
“Former President Olusegun Obasanjo could start with telling us where the electricity is despite $16billion he spent on the power sector.
“Obasanjo’s deputy, Alh. Atiku Abubakar should account for the privatisation exercise under his watch which saw national assets sold off to friends and cronies with no benefit to the country. Successive Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) administrations can also start by accounting for the trillions stolen from our national coffers in the guise of a fraudulent fuel subsidy regime”, APC stated.
The ruling party noted that “while it is well within the rights of these political actors to write skewed letters, spew empty, hypocritical, tongue-in-cheek and two-faced economic magic models in line with their Dubai meeting strategies, this administration is walking the talk with verifiable projects and people-centred interventions that is uplifting Nigerians”.
“These political actors probably only listen to their own voices because Nigerians have long stopped taking them seriously as they simply lack the antecedents and moral credentials to guide Nigeria and Nigerians to the path of prosperity and progress.
“Instead of the ‘do or die’ lingo Obasanjo and the PDP introduced to our electioneering, votes are beginning to count as our elections improves steadily.
“Their abandoned projects which constituted drainpipes on national resources are being completed by this administration.
“The brazen culture of impunity and corruption which they institutionalised is being replaced by strong and accountable systems.
“The culture of roundtripping and the rested subsidy regime in the petroleum sector has been replaced by a deregulated and accountable petroleum pricing template.
“Instead of plotting how to sell off national assets, particularly the NNPC to friends, this administration is reforming public sector operations to ensure optimised service delivery.
“We are gradually eating what we grow. Our national emergency health response has earned global accolades and recognition as displayed by our COVID-19 response. Our defence capacity to respond and contain emerging security challenges is now tested and proven. How did Nigeria achieve this? A strong, people-centred and focussed leadership which the President Muhammadu Buhari-led APC administration provides.
“Genuine patriots, reputable groups and organizations who are making honest contributions on the deregulation of electricity and petrol prices already see the decision as inevitable and the way to go.
‘As it stands, Nigeria will save as much as one trillion naira ($2.6 billion) following the deregulation of the petroleum sector, the Petroleum Minister of State Timipre Sylva has stated.
“Nigerians trust that the freed-up cash will be accounted for and be judiciously invested to develop other critical areas such as infrastructure, health care, education among others”, APC added.
