Nigeria: Groups Step Up Campaign for Oil Minister

June 11, 2011 - Groups in the Niger Delta area are running heads over hills to ensure that their candidates emerge the next Oil Minister in the country. Sources say former Petroleum Resources Minister, Mrs. Diezani Allison-Madueke, appears be endorsed by more groups.

But, Oil and Gas Contractors in the region are still pressing President Goodluck Jonathan, not to re-appoint her.

The oil and gas contractors are accusing the former minister of “anti-Niger Delta tendencies”. Apparently not persuaded, the Niger Delta Indigenous Movement for Radical Change said in an e-mail to AkanimoReports on Monday that they are “lobbying” The Presidency to ensure that Mrs. Allison-Madueke returns to the oil ministry.

President of the group, Nelly Emma from Cross River State, John Sailor the Secretary from Bayelsa State and Public Relations Officer Mukoro Stanley from Delta State in a press statement at the weekend urged President Jonathan to still allow Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke to pilot the affairs of the Petroleum Ministry in his yet to be constituted cabinet, saying she meant well for the ministry and well being of the people of the oil-rich Niger Delta region.

While imploring the former Nigeria's Petroleum Minister not to be worried over what they described as sponsored media war against her, the Movement noted that Mrs. Alison-Madueke is a capable hand that should be brought back by the President to carry out a proper surgical operation in the oil and gas industry.

“We have discovered that the former Petroleum Minister, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke is a clean person with the milk of patriotism flowing in her vein, before the sack of the cabinet she was poised to reorganize the oil sector and that is why people are planning against her, sponsoring all manners of publications against her. She was very good while in the Petroleum Ministry and this is why we are imploring President Jonathan to bring her back to the Ministry in his next cabinet to clean up the system”, they said.

Continuing, they said, “the campaign going on against her are because she was bent on reorganizing the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and we are sure that if she comes back to the Petroleum Ministry, she will reorganize the whole place and that is why they are fighting her in the media. We are calling on the President to beam his searchlight on the NNPC very well before the appointment of Ministers. Those at the helm of affairs of NNPC are out to destroy all what the former Petroleum Minister has put in place”.

According to the movement, “the former Petroleum Minister made fuel and kerosene available nationwide, today Nigerians are buying a litre of kerosene for N50 and she has helped to boost up Nigeria production crude oil. She made oil companies to recognize the Local Content Policy of the Federal Government and also made oil companies to have full confidence to invest in the oil and gas industry and with all these things going on fully, this will affect the oil communities to be part of the oil coming from their land. We hold the view strongly that Mrs. Alison-Madueke remain the best choice for the Petroleum Ministry, let her be brought back on board to make the structure to work effectively so that investors that are investing in the Oil and Gas Industry in Nigeria will start to have full confidence to participate in the industry. It will also make the Local Content Policy of the Government to work very well for the locals to have full benefit of their oil wealth and so the President should appoint Mrs. Alison-Madueke again as the nation’s Petroleum Minister”.

ENDS

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