A Peace Advocacy group, the Niger Delta Nonviolence Agitators Forum (NDNAF), has condemned what it described as the desperate attempts by few youths from the Niger Delta region to launch attacks against the Oil Minister, Dr. Heineken Lokpobiri, through baseless accusation in the media.

According to the group, the attack against Lokpobiri is quite unfortunate and baseless.

NDNAF, in a statement signed by its National President, Comrade Wisdom Ikuli, and made available to journalists in Yenagoa, said the attack is an orchestrated attempt at misleading gullible members of the public to hate Lokpobiri whom they erroneously accuse of creating avoidable artificial fuel scarcity that is making Nigerians to go through excruciating pains and hardship which is not true in any way,” Ikuli stated.

The NDNAF stated that by all standards, “Lokpobiri is an outstanding illustrious son of the Niger Delta region who has distinguished himself in so many areas and ways and we are satisfied with his relentless efforts in repositioning the oil sub-sector,”

Ikuli, a former National Director of Mobilization and Chairman of the Action Committee of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), condemned a recent media attack by some youths on the oil minister.

“It is quite unfortunate that the baseless accusation by the miserable and very frustrated youths was actually a well calculated attempt at misleading gullible members of the public to hate Senator Lokpobiri whom they erroneously accuse of creating avoidable artificial fuel scarcity that is making Nigerians to go through excruciating pains and hardship which is not true in any way.

“Informed and very sensitive Nigerians know all the contentious issues including the high level of sabotages by antagonistic elements who are afraid of the good works of Mr. President that shall in the long run result in the reformed, transformed and repositioned Nigeria of our dreams.

“It is indeed sad and very shameful that those who accused Senator Lokpobiri, a man who had earlier served as pioneer Speaker of Bayelsa State House of Assembly, two times Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria where he served meritoriously and left indelible legacies and former Minister of State for Agriculture of incompetence do not even know the difference between the substantive Minister of Petroleum and the Minister of State (Crude).

“It is pathetic, worst and almost unbelievable that those who accused a Doctor of Law (Ph.D) of incompetence do not even know that their allegation about incompetence was a direct indictment of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu who is the substantive super Minister of Petroleum Resources when Nigerians know the immeasurable and invaluable sacrifices and efforts of Mr. President to fix the rot in the country and also block all leakages.”

While dismissing the allegation made by the youths against Lokpobiri and by extension the Federal Government, Ikuli maintained that the Tinubu-led administration inherited the present crisis in the petroleum sector including petroleum subsidy.

According to him, relevant documents show that fuel subsidy was not in the 2023 budget that it inherited from the previous administration.

Ikuli maintained that things became worse because the Muhammadu Buhari administration sold Nigeria’s crude oil in advance.

“Alhaji AbdulRahman Abdulrazaq the Governor of Kwara State who doubles as Chairman of Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) confirmed the above fact through a statement that was issued by his Chief Press Secretary Rafiu Ajakaye.

“It is preposterous and mischievous too for young people who are striving for greatness to blame such a sensitive issue and well known fact on an innocent man that places so much premium on service delivery and on the empowerment, growth and development of his people.

“Also, it is an indisputable fact that the Ministry of Petroleum within the last one year has experienced unprecedented rapid improvement in production and overall performance of the ministry and all the parastatals and agencies under crude where Senator Lokpobiri serves as junior minister but instead of commendation and appreciation, he is been vilified and demonized by visionless young people who are throwing tantrums,” Ikuli stated.

The statement further urged Niger Deltans to “learn to support their elected and appointed leaders and representatives who they are supposed to build synergy instead of trying to pull them down.”

Update news