Niger Delta Oil, Gas Professionals Excited Over Keyamo’s Ministerial Nomination

*Stakeholders urge Tinubu to give oil-producing area minister for Niger Delta Affairs

Olusegun Samuel in Yenagoa

A group of seasoned technocrats, the Niger Delta Oil & Gas Professionals, have expressed delight at the ministerial nomination of Festus Keyamo by President Bola Tinubu.
The leader of the group, Dr. Soki Etebu, said in a statement in Abuja, that by the nomination, Tinubu had proven to be a man of honour.
Etebu said he was particularly thrilled that Keyamo, an epitome of progressivism and determination, would be part of an administration with a declared intension of massively bettering the lives of Nigerians.

The oil industry expert noted that with the likelihood of Keyamo emerging petroleum minister, Tinubu appeared set to pick the best hand for the job.
Besides, Etebu stated, “The president had promised former Niger Delta agitators of appointing somebody from the region as the minister of petroleum resources.”
He stressed that with Keyamo’s legal background, experience in oil and gas matters, and his contributions to the Petroleum Industry Act, he was best suited to see the sector through a glorious era.

Etebu explained, “Festus Keyamo is best suited for this job; he has solid background in law, he is from the Niger Delta, he has fought for the people of the region and has the composure to bring about growth and progress in the sector.
“He is well informed and deepened enough to carry out reforms and unbundling of the sector, and seeing to the implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act, amongst others.”

The former instrumentation engineer noted that with his knowledge of the industry and Tinubu’s desire to bring prosperity to Nigeria, he was sure that the legal luminary will perform beyond expectations.
Etebu enjoined the National Assembly, particularly the Senate, to give all necessary cooperation to the president in the screening of Keyamo.
“We have full confidence in Keyamo; he is industrious, determined, knowledgeable, and ready to perform in the ministry. We urge the Senate to cooperate with President Tinubu to screen him soonest,” Etebu stated.

 Meanwhile, stakeholders from the Niger Delta region have urged President Bola Tinubu to appoint somebody from oil-producing area as Niger Delta Affairs Minister in the yet-to-be inaugurated cabinet in order to address the plights of the region.

This is coming against the rumour that some powerful persons around the presidency were persuading the president to consider someone from the non-oil producing area as minister in the Niger Delta Affairs ministry, a situation the people of the region argued would compound the problems and create further tension in the region.

An advocate group in the region ‘Movement for the Protection of Oil Producing Communities in Niger Delta’ told newsmen in a statement yesterday, that it takes somebody from the oil-producing area to understand the plights of the people.
The Chairman of the group, Chief Oyosongo Frank and Secretary, Godwin Edikan, noted in the statement that the Ministry of the Niger Delta Affairs was more about political expediency and required none other person than someone from an oil producing area in the Niger Delta region, because the sole purpose for the ministry was to provide and steer coordination for the developmental activities in the region.

They said: “The rumour of appointing someone from a non-oil producing area as Minister of the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs is spreading like wildfire and gathering momentum as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu gets set to allocate portfolios to the newly appointed ministers.
“And the rumour has sparked reactions capable of degenerating into crisis if it turns out to be true.

“By the Nigerian Constitution, every state is entitled to produce a minister and the president has fulfilled that requirement by nominating at least one person from each of the 36 states of the federation. The distribution of portfolios to the appointed ministers is the prerogative of the president.

“However, in doing so, he is guided by certain principles. In a few cases, the candidate has to be grounded in a profession relevant to the ministry.

“For instance, the ministry of justice will always be manned by a lawyer in the caliber of a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) while the ministry of health will be of a person in the medical profession.

“While that is the case for these portfolios, that of the ministry of the Niger Delta Affairs is more about political expediency and requires none other person than someone from an oil producing area in the Niger Delta region because the sole purpose for this ministry is to provide steer and co-ordination for the developmental activities in the region.

“However, its attraction is the supervisory role it plays over the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) that enjoys funding not only from the federal government but also from oil and gas companies, which unfortunately provides a breeding ground for sleaze money for certain individuals at the corridors of power.

“And that is what has generated interest to the extent that some forces within the presidency is trying to foist what is perceived to be a broader ‘Yoruba Agenda’ on the people of the oil producing areas, including the Yoruba speaking people of Ilaje in Ondo State.

“The Yoruba speaking people of Ilaje in Ondo State, under the aegis of Ilaje Parapo Forum (IPF), a group formed to protect the interest of the oil producing communities in Ilaje, petitioned the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, not to re-appoint Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo as Chairman, House Committee on the NDDC, a position he held in the 9th Assembly, on the grounds that he is not from an oil producing area.”