The Ijaw Youths Council (IYC) has urged the Minister of Petroleum, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, to set aside his governorship ambitions in Bayelsa State and concentrate on fulfilling his responsibilities as a minister.
According to the council, Lokpobiri should focus on effectively managing the crucial petroleum sector, instead of what it called ”political aspirations.”
In a statement signed by lYC Secretary-General Maobuye Nangi Obu and three other members, the council stated that Lokpobiri’s actions have been overly influenced by his desire to become governor.
This, they argue, has led to a lack of focus and an inability to address pressing issues within the oil subsector.
Part of the statement: “This for us is a distraction because it has made the minister lose focus and concentration. How else do we explain his inability to address the chaos and myriads of problems in the oil sub-sector?”
The IYC criticized Lokpobiri for neglecting his ministerial duties, which they argue is exacerbating the economic challenges facing Nigeria, particularly in the rural and coastal communities of the Niger Delta.
The statement read:
“Oil is the major determinant of the country’s economy. Oil gives economic direction and guarantees stability of other sectors.
“Unfortunately, the chaos in that sector since the appointment of Minister Lokpobiri has created untold hardship in the country such as high prices of goods, services, and other commodities; instability in exchange rate, high transportation cost among others, thereby making all genuine efforts of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu invisible to the people.”
The IYC also linked the ongoing economic hardships in Nigeria to Lokpobiri’s lack of decisive action in the petroleum sector.
They argued that his preoccupation with his political future in Bayelsa has led to his failure to address critical issues, contributing to rising costs of living and economic instability.
The council stressed that full concentration on his current role is necessary to craft a firm and decisive path for resolving the sector’s challenges, which in turn would help stabilize the Nigerian economy.
The council also expressed disappointment in Lokpobiri’s lack of intervention to uplift the people of the Niger Delta region during the current economic crisis.
They noted:
“Unlike some of his colleagues, Lokpobiri has refused to use his office to attract opportunities for his people. As a minister, he can’t boast of any intervention he has done personally to lift his people out of the current economic crisis.”
