Fuel crisis: IYC calls for sack of Petroleum Minister, Heineken Lokpobiri

The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide, has called for the replacement of the Minister of Petroleum Resources (State), Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri, over the current crisis bedeviling the nation’s oil industry.

In a statement signed by Maobuye Nangi Obu, Secretary General, Comrade Miracle Iyaye, National Women Leader, Barr. Tamunotonye David Altraide, National Legal Adviser and Comr. Abiye Bob-Manuel, National Deputy Director of Mobilization, the apex youth council said Lokpobiri’s lack of capacity and complete ineffectiveness is evident in the way agencies under his ministry have continued to mismanage the oil sector and inflicting pains on Nigerians.

The statement released to journalists in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, noted that Lokpobiri’s reputation for inaction clearly raises doubts about his ability to push and implement the needed reforms in the sector to make Nigerians enjoy availability and cost-effective prices of petroleum products.

The IYC was reacting to the latest September 2024 resumption date of the Port Harcourt Refinery as announced by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNCL) on Monday.

The council in a statement released to journalists in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, said the new date which they noted may not also be feasible has confirmed their position that under Lokpobiri, nothing good can come out of the oil sector.

Lamenting the sufferings of Nigerians, especially those in rural areas like far-flung communities in the Niger Delta owing to the cost of petrol, the council noted that keeping Lokpobiri as Minister will worsen the hardship.

“There are more competent people even from Bayelsa that could have done a better job than him. The man clearly does not understand the workings of that office.

“We have not seen any tangible results since his appointment. The economy of Nigeria depends heavily on the stability and efficiency of our oil sector. But we are seeing the manifestation of incompetence. Fuel now sells for over N2,000 in some communities in the region, the statement partly said.

The council further called on President Bola Tinubu to reshuffle his cabinet and send the petroleum minister to a ministry that “he can hide his incompetence, else he will continue to derail the Renewed Hope Agenda for the petroleum sector.”

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