By Our Correspondent
THE Niger Delta Indigenous Movement for Radical Change (NDIMRC) has hailed Nigeria’s Petroleum Minister, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke over her election as the first female President of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
The group in a press release signed by its President, Nelly Emma; Secretary, John Sailor and Public Relations Officer, Mukoro Stanley, said the election of the Petroleum Minister as OPEC President was well deserved.
According to the group, “We are elated that our hard working daughter, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, first female Minister of Petroleum has been elected as first female President of OPEC. Your election is well deserved and we will continue to be proud of you.”
While saying her election as OPEC President was a confirmation of the global impact of her achievements in the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry, the group stated that, “We are confident that you will make the good people of the Niger Delta proud as always. All eyes are on you as you embark on the onerous task of leading OPEC and we are very confident that you will deliver.”
But the group urged Mrs. Alison-Madueke to use her added power as OPEC President to make the International Oil Companies (IOCs) to be alive to their responsibilities in the oil-rich Niger Delta region.
The group wrote, “We are so confident that the new OPEC President will bring her wealth of experience to bear in managing the current turbulent drop in oil prices in the international market, but even as you do this, we want to sincerely urge you to use your added power as OPEC President to prevail on the multinational oil companies to give our local oil and gas firms a better deal.”
The group added “We know that you have been in the forefront pushing for a fair deal for our indigenous Oil and Gas serving firms that have invested heavily on capacity building over the years and now that you have been given additional power, we want to feel the impact back home by ensuring that the International Oil Companies who are scared of doing business in Nigeria as a result of the fast approaching 2015 general election are made to invest in the country and at the same time, they should dole out jobs to our local contractors.”
According to the group also, “As a committed patriot, we want to implore the OPEC President to ensure that the IOCs are made to work in the Niger Delta region as total peace has returned to the region and they should be made to implement the Nigerian Content Law to the benefit of our people.”
