On Monday January 17, 2017, the Vice
President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency, Prof. Yemi
Osinbajo, SAN, GCON, started a series of “Interactive Engagements” with
oil-producing communities in the Niger Delta region with the visit to Gbaramatu
Kingdom, Delta State.
The Acting President, Osinbajo continued
the engagement in a town hall meeting with leaders and stakeholders from oil-producing
communities in Bayelsa State.
Prof. Osinbajo started by saying “I
am extremely pleased and honored to be here today visiting the warm, friendly
and hardworking people of Bayelsa State.”
“It is a privilege to be hosted in
the Jerusalem of the Ijaw nation and to interact with a people whose rich
ancestry is notably marked, since the precolonial era, with a determined quest
for fairness and justice.” Yemi Osinbajo
Osinbajo said “I am here as an
emissary of our President, President Mohammadu Buhari, who after the visit of
leadership of The PAN DELTA FORUM in November 2016, decided that we must
undertake visits to engage with the leadership and people of our oil producing
communities, to hear them, to seek to understand their problems and concerns
first hand and to offer to these communities in the Niger Delta, a new vision
and a new compact.”
“It is in this great State of
Bayelsa precisely at Oloibiri that the history of oil exploration in Nigeria
began. It is here that this great source of the wealth of our Nation was
discovered. And this oil became the source of 70% of our National earnings and
90% of our foreign exchange earnings.” Prof. Osinbajo
Culled from the Facebook account of
Aso Rock Villa below is the extract of the remaking speech of his Excellency
The Acting President of The Federal Republic of Nigeria, Prof. YemiOsinbajo.
Over 50% of non-oil revenues is
determined by oil revenues. But for the people of historic Oloibiri and the
many oil-producing communities in this State and the Delta region of Nigeria,
the blessing of oil paradoxically became a curse or at best a burden.
Their means of livelihood, fishing
and farming has consistently been destroyed by pollution. Worse still huge
resources earned over the years have simply disappeared.
The roads, schools, hospitals and
social amenities that the oil wealth should have provided are either not there
or are patently inadequate. The majority of people of these communities and
several parts of the oil producing states have heard of the wealth that oil has
brought but have hardly benefited from it.
And so we have come today on behalf
of the President and Commander-in-Chief, with cabinet colleagues, and heads of
relevant agencies to propose a new vision and to signpost a new era to the
people of the oil producing communities of this state and Nigeria.
The Federal Government will begin a
partnership with the oil producing states, local governments, oil companies,
private sector, and civil society organizations for the rapid development of
these communities.
We must convene an oil-communities
intervention meeting to work out what can be done in the short to medium term
and the long term possibilities. We must focus on how to ensure that the people
see the benefits of the wealth of the land.
This new vision will define the future of the region. Oil exploitation by itself cannot suffice to assure our people of decent jobs and a decent income.
We must make our oil producing communities’
hubs for petro-chemical industries, small and large. We must make these
communities hubs for refining and related activities.
The Ministry of Petroleum in collaboration with the oil companies is working on several initiatives for host communities including working with illegal refiners in oil bearing communities to participate in modular refineries that will be established. There is no doubt that thermal power stations should be stationed here, it makes sense, and the gas deposits are here.
The biggest benefit we can obtain is
to attract more investment to the region. I listened to my brother Udengs,
President of the Ijaw Youth Council, who is one of the most articulate
advocates of the Niger Delta cause that I have yet heard. I also listened
carefully to the Agricultural economist, Zigha Ayibakuro.
A key point they make of the several
important points, is that the young men of Bayelsa are entrepreneurs, driven
and dynamic and this is critical. Societies are built on the resourcefulness,
innovativeness and drive of the people.
India does not have a drop of oil
but it now home to the largest refinery of Petroleum in the world. I want to
challenge the young professionals and entrepreneurs to set up A Niger Delta
Chamber of Commerce and Entrepreneurship Council. Where we can identify those
involved in technology, Agriculture, Oil and Gas, manufacturing and the
professions. A chamber of commerce properly organized will attract the right
kind of local and international partnerships and even funding. I am prepared to
work with you on that.
Today new investments in the oil and
gas sector have slowed down so badly because investors have a choice all over
the world, even here in Africa, and they will not put their resources in a
dangerous or unstable environment.
This is why our oil producing
communities must now refuse to participate in the destruction of pipelines and
oil facilities. Aside from loss of revenues this also means further pollution
of the land and aqua culture.
We must not allow anyone to persuade
us that we need to destroy investments, pollute our environment to prove a
point or to get a few benefits. That is cutting our nose to spite our face!
From 2015 Nigeria began to lose 1 million barrels of oil daily. Almost 60% of revenues lost to vandalization. This affected all states, and especially states in the Niger Delta region.
From 2015 Nigeria began to lose 1 million barrels of oil daily. Almost 60% of revenues lost to vandalization. This affected all states, and especially states in the Niger Delta region.
All the requests Udengs made the
road to Brass, Airport, etc can only be done when the FG and the states earn
revenue. We cannot destroy the sources of revenue and expect revenues.
Your Excellency’s, your Royal
majesties and the great people of the Ijaw nation, we must make haste. We must
move quickly.
Day by day the world is moving away from oil. Other energy sources are getting cheaper, America that used to be the largest importer of our oil, has not imported one drop of our oil since they started producing from Shale.
Our oil now sells to Asia, but even
they do not plan to depend on oil forever. China and Japan are now
manufacturing electric cars.
In Japan there are more charging
stations for cars than petrol stations. We must be wise, to use our oil for
development when it is still valuable. Our guarantee of future well-being is to
act today. It is time to set our sights on a great future for our people.
Once more, I thank you most
sincerely for your very warm welcome, and I especially thank my dear brother,
the Governor of the State, Governor Seriake Dickson.
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