Tony Manuaka
As he turns 56 today, July 7, 2020, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva can conveniently stand up to be counted among Nigeria’s top politicians who have made remarkable impacts in the development of the country. In the last two decades of the country’s democracy, Sylva has been at the forefront of the struggle to deepen democracy.
Born in Brass in the present day Bayelsa State, Sylva began his political career in 1992 when he contested and won election to represent Brass Constituency in the House of Assembly of the old Rivers State at a tender age of 28. At that time, he was the youngest member of the house.
Sylva no doubt, had a tall ambition. His current position as the country’s Minister of State for Petroleum Resources may have been one of such ambitions. In 2004, he was appointed Special Assistant to then Minister for Petroleum, Edmond Dakouru.
From the office of the Petroleum Minister, Sylva took a giant leap to contest for the governorship seat in Bayelsa State under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). By what some observers described as divine intervention, Sylva who came second in the primary election later became the party’s flag bearer. How did it happen?
When Dr. Goodluck Jonathan who won the party’s ticket was elevated by his party to run for the office of Vice President with the late Musa Yar’Adua who was the presidential candidate of the party, Sylva was also moved up as the party’s governorship candidate in Bayelsa to replace Jonathan. Subsequently, on May 29, 2007, he emerged as the governor of the state at the age of 44.
But in a desperate move, the candidate of the opposition Action Congress (AC) at the time who was his major opponent challenged his election. The state Election Petition Tribunal upheld his election but the Appeal Court eventually nullified it. Yet, that was not the end of the road for Sylva. When a new election was conducted as directed by the Appeal Court, he won overwhelmingly. That was on May 24, 2008.
With a strong determination to transform Bayelsa State from one of the least industrially developed states in the country to a place where investors can stake their money, Sylva resolved to form an inclusive government ostensibly, to calm frayed political nerves in the state. But it appeared as if the opposing forces couldn’t be pacified. The opposition pushed on until January 27, 2012 when the Supreme Court removed him from office.
In the wake of the crises that engulfed the Peoples Democratic Party in 2013, Sylva joined a new train, the All Progressives Congress with his supporters. He was a member of the Kawu Baraje-led New PDP. He was said to be a principal member of the New PDP and was involved in the negotiations that culminated in their mass movement to the APC. That was his strategy for remaining in the mainstream of national politics when the PDP denied him ticket to run for a second term.
As a leading member of the ruling APC, he has worked relentlessly to ensure that Bayelsa State remains relevant in national politics. It was not surprising when in 2019, President Muhammadu Buhari appointed him as Minister of State for Petroleum Resources. Sylva is believed to be a faithful party leader, which accounts for why he was so rewarded.
In the politics of Bayelsa State, Sylva has over the years, become a strong force to reckon with. His close associates say he is the pillar of APC in the state. Petroleum industry workers also extol his virtues. Simbi Kesiye Wabote, an engineer and Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) described him as an inspirational boss.
“Your term as Minister and Chairman of our Governing Council has led to several outstanding achievements for Nigerian Content implementation and the Oil and Gas Industry in general. The NCDMB family celebrates you. We pledge our total support to the laudable initiatives you are championing towards actualizing President Muhammadu Buhari’s Change Agenda for our country,” Wabote declared.
As Sylva progresses in the oil ministry with President Buhari as the substantive minister, expectations are high. One of such is a new legislation to reform the country’s oil and gas sector. Determined to make a change, Sylva recently assured: “We could give light to our people…we could relinquish ourselves from our dependency on imported fuel, we could create new opportunities for job creation and industrial development, we could take millions of people out of poverty.”
While declaring 2020 as the year of gas for Nigeria, the minister holds the view that “strong domestic gas and gas-based industries could help boost intra-Africa trade, create new synergies with our neighbours, boost integration of power generation networks, establish new partnerships, and even contribute to peace.”
As he celebrates his 56th birthday, friends and family members, political associates and well wishers have enough reasons to celebrate the accomplishments of Sylva.