From: Tony John,
Port Harcourt
A Niger Delta environmentalist and stalwart of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, Celestine Akpobari, has described the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill (PIGB) recently passed by the National Assembly as a disaster.
Akpobari stated this in an interview with Sunday Sun, pointing out that it was not what the people of the Niger Delta region clamoured for.
“The Petroleum Industry Governance Bill which was passed by the National Assembly is a disaster. It is not a bill at all for us (Niger Delta), because it was not what we asked for,” Akpobari said.
Speaking on the Federal Government’s promise to establish modular refineries, the environmentalist replied that the region is quite a small place that there is no project executed that could not be known and seen.
His words: “Niger Delta is a very small place. If anything has happened, in the next few seconds, everybody in the Niger Delta will know. It’s not just making speeches, we have not seen any action so far. There has not been a corresponding action. I know that as I know my name.
“If they talking about modular refinery, we want to see it located in the Niger Delta owned by Niger Delta people. And not like the oil blocs that are in my backyard, but owned by somebody in far North.
We don’t want those nonsense again.
“The truth is that we have been talking; there have been conferences; there have been meetings; there have been reports on the Niger Delta, right from the days of the Willink Commission before independence.
“And, so, if Federal Government wants to develop Niger Delta, they don’t have to go about making noise, because we have seen what oil money has done in Abuja within a very short period of time, without an oil well in Abuja.”
Akpobari, who was a former chairman of Khana Local Government Area of the State, and ex-coordinator of Social Action, a human rights group, stressed that Niger Delta people want to see developmental action from Federal Government, not much talk.
“Federal Government did not consult many people to develop Abuja. When they budgeted billions of naira to develop Abuja and build the presidential mansion, they didn’t consult anybody. Why is it that the little thing they want to do in Niger Delta, they would make noise?
“Look at the road leading to the two refineries, the Eleme petrochemical plant and seaport, it would take you six hours on a journey that ordinarily not last for more than 40 minutes. Is it not shameful? We are not interested in what they are saying. We want to see action. Even the clean-up of the polluted environment that President Muhammadu Buhari talked about, we have not seen any concrete action on ground.
“In fact, we want to see the money, the machines on site for the clean-up of our polluted environment. I know that the programme coordinator of the clean-up is working very hard. But, the Federal Government should make available the money, so that we can see action. We have heard so much noise about the development of Niger Delta region. The one from Acting President Yemi Osinbajo is not new. People want to see concrete action.”
Commenting on the Maritime University, the environmentalist said: “I have not seen any sign. If it has taken off, we will know. Niger Delta like I said earlier, is a small place. If something has taken off in the Maritime University, we will know. I am not sure it has started,” Akpobari said.