N’Delta Govs, US Partner On Oil Theft

Governors from the nine Niger Delta States converged in Port Harcourt recently for a bilateral technical meeting with officials of the United States Embassy to brainstorm on ways to end oil theft in the country.

Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State and Adams Oshiomole of Edo State were the only State Chief Executives who attended the meeting in person, Ondo State was represented by a Commissioner while Abia State sent his Deputy. Governors of Akwa-Ibom, Delta and Cross River were absent at the meeting.

Okorocha spoke to newsmen shortly after the meeting, hinting that the forum was an initiative of President Goodluck Jonathan and President Barack Obama on how to curb the swelling oil theft in the country.

The Imo State Governor advocated for more powers to be given to state governors in overseeing security machinery for monitoring oil installations.

House of Representatives Committee Chairman on Petroleum-Downstream, Dakuku Peterside  called for synergy between countries and states.  He also called for political will on the part of government.

Peterside warned that if no proactive measures were taken, crude oil theft would persist and perhaps dwindle the economic fortunes of the country, since most of the country’s revenue comes from oil.

Meanwhile, Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mrs Ibim Semenitari and Senator Magnus Abe spoke on the Soku oil wells now ceded to Bayelsa State surreptitiously by the Boundary Commission.

Mrs Semenitari accused the federal authorities for failing on an agreement by breaking into an ESCROW account and paying Bayelsa State the monies from the contested oil wells.  Senator Abe said all Rivers people must support Governor Amaechi in making sure the oil wells were returned to the state.

Commenting on whether the defection of Amaechi to APC had closed any reconciliatory window between him and President Jonathan, Mrs Semenitari    said, “you can never say never in any situation.  I believe that the governor of Rivers State is first of all a Rivers – man, but he is also a Nigerian and has regards for the office of the President”.

Governor Amaechi returned to the state on Tuesday and attended a Night of Glory Praise and Worship held at the Civic Centre.

He thanked the citizenry for attending the gathering and recalled the travails he and his wife had gone through during the political crisis.

He told the Christian gathering that he was sure to triumph over his detractors and assured that even he and his wife would come out united and inseparable at last.

On Wednesday morning, the Governor swore in nine new Permanent Secretaries. He charged them to be transparent and abide by the rules and conduct of service.

Later on Wednesday afternoon, members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, led by its Deputy Speaker Leyii Kwanee, addressed Government House    reporters, emphasising that they had accepted an Abuja High Court judgement revoking the powers of the National Assembly to preside over the affairs of the House of Assembly in Rivers State.

Corroborating Kwanee, the House Committee Chairman on Judiciary, Hon Golden Chioma, hinted that on Thursday, the lawmakers would visit the Rivers police –authorities to enable members have access to the Assembly Complex.

On Thursday morning, the lawmakers were barred by mobile policemen, who barricaded the entrance of the Assembly complex.  Both the lawmakers and government officials were dispersed by the police with tear gas.

On Wednesday evening, a statement from the office of the Chief Press Secretary had announced the sack of Commissioner for Urban Planning and Development, Dr Tammy Danagogo.  He was asked to handover to the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry.