A Niger Delta advocacy group that stand for peace and sustainable development, the Niger Delta Peace Dialogue Initiative (NDPDI), has expressed anger over the multiple claims of allege bribe taking against the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva and the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Local Content, Development and Monitoring Board, Chief Simbi Wabote.
The group described the multiple allegation of allege acceptance of $25 million bribe from an Italian Oil giant, Saipem, against Chief Timipre Sylva to enable the company participate in the Bonny NLNG Train 7 Project and the claim against Chief Simbi Wabote over the alleged collection of $2million from Kelvion, a German equipment manufacturing company are false, provocative and pathetic way of dragging Niger Delta finest brains in the murky waters of politics.
The Niger Delta Peace Dialogue Initiative (NDPDI), made up of ex-militant leaders and key stakeholders from the nine states of the region, argued after an emergency meeting presided over by the National Coordinator, Comrade Fiawei Pathfinder, and state chapter heads, in Warri, Delta State, declared that the claims against Sylva and Wabote are unfounded, diminishing, malicious, fabricated lies and concocted cheap blackmail against reputable sons of the region that are performing very well under the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.
The group, in a statement issued and signed by Comrade Fiawei Pathfinder, stated that “the allegations are totally falsehood and tissues of lies that should be discarded in the dust-bin because they are mere gossip and backbiting. With no iota of truth, the purported claim that these ‘bandits’ are making anywhere that the Minister of Petroleum collected $25 million bribe from an Italian Oil giant, Saipem, in other to enable them participate in the Bonny NLNG Train 7 Project that cost almost $12 billion for the federal government of Nigeria as reported on the social media and other media platforms is a fictitious diminishing lies from the pit of hell.
“These blatant lies are handiwork of failed and frustrated politicians who are just been naive and malicious to portray the hard working Minister in bad light because they are being sieved out of relevance and stopped from perpetrating their corrupt practices at the detriment of innocent Niger Deltans. We make bold to sternly warn these devilish inhuman and diabolic criminal-minded persons whom we have declared enemies of Nigeria and the Niger Delta region to desist immediately or we will go all out to fish them out because we know them and their sponsors.
“We will continue to support the good and great work the Honourable Minister of Petroleum and the Executive Secretary of Nigerian Local Content Development Board are doing to give hope to the millions of Niger Deltans under this short period they have been in office, hence we would not allow anybody to distract them with horrible lies. Let it be known to these saboteurs that the Niger Delta people are seriously in support of the performing Minister of Petroleum and the Executive Secretary of Local Content Board and nobody can cheaply ridicule and rubbish them with cheap blackmail in anyway.”
“Rather the great and intelligent people of the Niger Delta are not cheap to be cajoled and made to rise against the honourable Minister and Executive Secretary respectively because their performance has direct impact on lives and communities.We the leadership of the Niger Delta Peace Dialogue Initiative unequivocally state here that the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, is a man of foresight, peace builder and diligence in development.
“This impeccable character is also solidly behind the post presidential amnesty declaration that brought total peace and economic stability to the Niger Delta region and Nigeria since 2009 when he was the Executive Governor of Bayelsa State.
“We want the world to recall and know that he single-handedly mobilized to the creek and met with the most dreaded then militant leaders and commanders in their various camps and also fly them out to meet with the then President of Nigeria, Late Umar Musa Yar’ Adua of blessed memory, and that singular act of bravery and patriotism made Yar’Adua to declare presidential amnesty for all militants groups in the Niger Delta region.And it is also on record that the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources has been able to influence the multi-million industrial project, the Brass Fertilizer Gas Hub whose groundbreaking ceremony was done at Okpoama in Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, which when completed will employ over 30,000 youths from the creeks of the State and the Niger Delta as a whole, hence will drastically reduce youth restiveness and militancy in the region.”
On the allegation level against the Executive Secretary of Nigerian Content, Development and Monitoring Board, Chief Wabote Simbi, the group argued that the claims are worthless and frivolous, insiting that Wabote is indeed an outstanding and performing son of the Niger Delta and Nigeria as a whole whose wealth of experience has changed the narrative in the oil and gas sector as far as local content development and addition are concerned.
“Since his appointment, his expertise in oil and gas matters has made him to add glamour to the nation’s oil and gas industry that is currently recognized and respected globally. His administrative pattern and transparency mix have led to the successful completion and commissioning of the iconic Local Content Edifice in the heart of Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital. With his patriotic approach of leadership and implementation of the local content act, indigenous contractors have a sense of belonging in the nation’s oil and gas industry as they are executing major contracts which are rare.
“His astuteness has made him to record monumental success, which also had led to the smooth approval, licensing and construction of modular refineries by our Niger Delta sons from the creeks as approved by DPR and NNPC in collaboration with the honorable Minister of Petroleum as a team player and good listener who has synergized with the Minister at all times in achieving greatly on his mandate, and with this sustainable development that has been brought to the Niger Delta region, and we are proud of the duo and commend their good works.”
The group commended President Muhammadu Buhari for appointing the duo of Chief Timipre Sylva and Simbi Wabote “to serve in his administration and sent to transform the Niger Delta region.”
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