The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, has assured the people of the South-South geopolitical zone that President Muhammadu Buhari will not neglect them whenever he commences the allocation of oil blocs.

He hinted that President Buhari has not allocated oil blocs to any individual since he came into office on May 29, 2015.

Kachikwu spoke on Monday in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State at the South-South region’s Town Hall Meeting organised by the Ministry of Information and Culture.

The minister, who responded to questions by some aggrieved participants from the zone over alleged inequitable distribution of oil blocs, said that the Federal Government would be fair and just in giving out such advantages.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Kachikwu said that, “Since we came into office, the government has not allocated any oil bloc.

“The President has said that he will need to correct the mess created by the past administrations before we begin to think of giving out such advantages.

“The President has emphasised to us, the ministers that there should be no unjustifiable favour and any action we take we must be able to defend it.

“When the time for the oil bloc allocation comes, it will follow very clear due process.”

Kachikwu stressed that he was one of those who believed that the South-South people should benefit from oil blocs because it would be part of “giving back to the chicken that laid the eggs.”

He said it would go a long way to empower the people and make them to engage in genuine oil deals, rather than being contractors to oil companies.

The minister, however, reiterated that when government wants to consider the allocation, it would be given to those who have skills and the finance to develop the blocs.

Kachikwu said that the Federal Government had finalised the Integrated Power Project with Mobil Oil Company that would produce 500 megawatts of power as well as gas pipeline project in Akwa Ibom.

He said the total investment for the project, including provision of infrastructure in the area of locations, was seven billion dollar.

The minister promised that the Federal Government would locate oil depots and modular refineries in the state through private capital intervention.

In addressing the challenges of militancy in the region, Kachikwu said he had reached out to the Niger Delta Avengers for a truce with the Federal Government to end destruction to oil installations.

He said the activity of the militants blowing up oil installations was affecting the economy and government would use all means possible to end it.

The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, who was also at the Town Hall Meeting, promised that the Federal Government would deliver on the developmental projects it promised Nigerians.

He said: “It is time to end the blame game and move forward to concentrate on the delivery of democracy dividends.’’

He said government would deliver the Calabar to Lagos coastal rail line project, the Calabar to Port Harcourt, and Lagos to Kano rail projects to ease movement of people and goods.

Responding to an allegation from a member of the audience, Amaechi said he did not influence the appointment of the Director-General of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Mrs. Ibim Semenitari.

He said that the insinuation that he lobbied President Buhari to take the position from an indigene of Akwa Ibom for Semenitari in negation of the zoning arrangement was wrong.

The minister said that the president had noted the zoning arrangement and correction would be made.

Amaechi also said that government was in the process of restructuring NIMASA in order to reposition it to deliver on its statutory mandate.

•Source: The AUTHORITY. Photo shows Dr. Kachikwu.

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