IZZI YAKIAH DEBUNKS ALLEGATION OF ATLANTIC REFINERY FUNDS DIVERSION

IZZI YAKIAH
DEBUNKS ALLEGATION OF ATLANTIC REFINERY FUNDS DIVERSION.

A Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress in Bayelsa State, Izzi Yakiah has described Minister of State Petroleum Resources Oil- Heineken Lokpobiri allegation that those behind the two thousand BPD Atlantic Modular Refinery diverted thirty five million US dollars appropriated for the project as a deliberate decision to maligned a former Governor who had worked so hard to attract critical Oil and Gas investments that would ensure value addition to the crude oil, products sufficiency, create jobs opportunities for young people and curb pipeline vandalism in the area.

Reacting to the allegation made by the Minister at Twon Brass community town hall on Wednesday through a statement signed and released on Thursday in Abuja, Izzi Yakiah debunked the Minister notion that Chief Timipre Sylva is wicked to the people of Brass adding that Senator Heineken Lokpobiri hasty visits to the access road to Brass Petroleum Product Terminal Tank Farm project before addressing the people of Brass at a stakeholders Meeting was laced with bad intent to incite the people of Brass against Chief Sylva who ensures the completion of the 17 story headquarters of the Nigerian Content Development in Yenagoa, Passage of the Petroleum Industry Act in 2021 and execution of other corporate social responsibility projects in Brass Island.

Izzi’s statement argued that most of the projects alleged by Senator Heineken to have been paid for during the tenure of Chief Sylva as Minister were projects conceived and solely relied on counter part funding to be fully completed.

Calling on the former Speaker of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly to adopt further dialogue in resolving issues of abandoned oil and gas projects in Brass Island, Izzi Yakiah appealed to the serving Minister to initiate steps that will ensure speedy completion of the projects attracted by the former Governor in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Renewed Hope Agenda.

Acknowledging the dedication of Senator Heineken in the nation’s oil industry, the APC chieftain asked the Minister to find a solution to the demand of Bayelsa people to have more Federal Government Projects in the State following sketchy records of his achievements during his time as Minister of State for Agriculture between 2015 – 2018 under former President Muhammadu Buhari

He noted that the stakeholders meeting of such nature should provide an opportunity for the Minister to explain to Nigerians controversy surrounding the operations of the Port Harcourt Refinery and other two major refineries in Nigeria as well as the current steps taken to reduce the current fuel pulp price to affordable rate .

Chief Izzi recalled why other serving Ministers are busy initiating robust reforms in their different ministries and lobbying the President for key Federal appointments for their people to strengthen APC in different states , Heneiken Lokpobiri has chosen to ignore such progressive ventures and focus on Timipre Sylva who did his best to improve oil and gas sector in Nigeria.

Thanking President Bola Tinubu for the recent signing
of the gas sale and purchase agreement (GSPA) for the $3.5 billion Brass fertiliser and petrochemical project in Bayelsa state at the instance of Shell Petroleum Development Company and its partners, the pioneer member of APC calls on the President to effect his administration bond performance agreement in the day to day running of the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources particularly the oil sector headed by Senator Heineken Lokpobiri.

Chief Izzi Yakiah who is also the National Coordinator of Niger Delta Non Governmental Organization “Niger Delta Media Activists Group and Excellent Leadership Foundation” wants Senator Heneiken Lokpobiri to redirect his energy towards bringing dividends of democracy to the people of Nigeria inline with the Renewed Hope agenda of President Bola Tinubu.