By Our Correspondent,
THE Niger Delta Indigenous Movement for Radical Change (NDIMRC), has tackled the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Finance, Dr. Abdulmumin Jibrin on his recent attack on Nigerian Petroleum Minister, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke over alleged missing #321 Billion in the Oil and Gas Sector.
Dr. Jibrin had said that the Minister of Petroleum should be held responsible for the monies allegedly missing in the oil and gas sector of the economy.
According to the lawmakers; “The Federation was expected to earn #1.837 trillion (or #204.168 Billion per month) from the sale of crude oil and gas marketed by the NNPC with the Petroleum Minister as its board chair person. It should be noted that this is after taking into consideration payments for Joint Venture cash calls (i.e cost of production) and petrol subsidy payments. However, only #1.516 Trillion has been remitted to the government by the NNPC showing a shortfall of #320.654 Billion for the period.”
But in a press release signed by its President, Nelly Emma; Secretary, John Sailor and Public Relations Officer, Mukoro Stanley, the group while making case for the Petroleum Minister in respect of the alleged missing oil money, described the Minister as transparent who should not take any blame, if any.
While saying that the House of Representatives Chairman on Finance was being mischievous over his allegation against the Petroleum Minister, the group claimed that the allegation had political undertone and urged the Minister not to be discouraged in giving her best of service to the nation.
“We strongly believe that the recent allegation by the House of Representatives Chairman on Finance against the Petroleum Minister has political undertone and it is all about 2015 and President Goodluck Jonathan. We want to restate it here that the Northern agenda of which Dr. Abdulmumin Jibrin is part of cannot stop the re-election bid of the President in 2015. The Petroleum Minister cannot be intimidated as we are strongly behind her,” the group stated.
According to the group; “The Petroleum Minister is a committed patriot; she is serving her country to the best of her ability. We want to say that all is well with the level of accountability in the oil and gas sector. The recent allegation against the Minister by the House of Representatives chairman on Finance is all about 2015 and it is also aimed at bringing the hard earned reputation of the Petroleum Minister to public ridicule and this is unacceptable to our group and the entire people of the oil-rich Niger Delta region.”
“The commendable efforts of the Petroleum Minister since she came on board are very clear; her second name is accountability. The Minister has brought sanity into the oil and gas sector and she should be praised and not condemned as recently done by the House of Representatives chairman on Finance,” the group wrote.
The Niger Delta Indigenous Movement for Radical Change also said; “The Minister should continue her good work; she is on a thankless national assignment. We are not in a hurry to forget how Dr. Rilwanu Lukman shared oil blocs to prominent individuals from the North when he was Petroleum Minister, thereby fuelling the poverty in the oil-rich Niger Delta region. But has Dr. Abdulmumin Jibrin done something in favour of the South South people who are producing the wealth of the nation, yet they had nothing to show for it?”
The group while imploring the Petroleum Minister to take urgent steps to give a better deal to the people of the South South region, held that; “The time has come for the Minister to listen to the cries of our people by placing them in good positions in the oil and gas sector of the economy. The Minister should also ensure that our local contractors are given a fair deal by the International Oil Companies (IOCs) operating in the country.”
