Ben Dunno, Warri
A Niger Delta Activist, Comrade Israel Joe, has called on the federal government to ensure effective monitoring of the $1.484b approved for the rehabilitation of both the Warri and Kaduna refineries, inorder to avoid diversion or misappropriation of the funds.
Making the call for the prudent spending of the earmarked funds in a statement made available to newsmen in Warri today, Comrade Joe, noted that the rehabilitation of the refineries, especially the Warri Refinery would a long way in improving the economy of the Niger Delta region.
He applauded the federal government for taking the initiative to bring back to live these ailing national assets, stating that this laudable step had also accommodated some of the demands the #EndSARS protest was designed to achieve.
Comrade Joe noted that parts of the objectives of the #EndSARS protest was to ensure job creation for teeming youths in the county, as well as to improve socio-economic wellbeing of the people, adding that with the steps being taking to revamp the refineries, the federal government had started showing commitment to the demands.
The statement read: “Specifically, on behalf of the Youths of Delta State and representing the entire Southern Youths, I wish to commend the federal government for the approval of the rehabilitation of the Warri refinery. This is, and but a sign that our struggles are yielding positive results”.
“The Warri refinery, Osubi Airport reopening, the Delta or Premium Steel Company and the Nigeria Ports Authorities (NPA) Warri were our cardinal demand during the October 2020 #EndSARS protest in Warri which critically includes the rejections of police brutality, extortions, harassments and extra-judicial killings”.
“In a town hall meeting with the executive governor of Delta State, Senator (Dr.) Ifeanyi Okowa, in Warri and Asaba, as well as in another meeting with the Minister of Youths, Mr. Sunday Dare, also in Asaba, we canvassed these cardinal demands. While the government took it seriously to attend to these demands, we followed up with several letters to authorities”.
“We are glad that a whopping $586 million dollars have been earmarked for the Warri refinery rehabilitation duly approved by the FEC yesterday, which of course would put us in the economic hub in the region after completion. We shall ensure a follow-up on the process and ensure we track the funds to be used for the purpose for which it was approved”.
“We want to thank the government for the resumption of the airport and also remind the federal authorities that our letters for the Warri Seaport and Premium Steel companies are also on their tables so they could expedite actions as well”.