DEMAND FOR IMMEDIATE SACK OF THE MINISTER OF MARINE AND BLUE ECONOMY, ALHAJI ADEGBOYEGA OYETOLA, CON

UGBORODO COMMUNITY YOUTH DEVELOPMENT BODY

 Motto: Build the Community and Build Yourself

Your Excellency

Bola Ahmed Tinubu,

GCFR President and Commander - In - Chief of the Amed Forces of Federal Republic of Nigeria

State House, Abuja.

Sir,

DEMAND FOR IMMEDIATE SACK OF THE MINISTER OF MARINE AND BLUE ECONOMY, ALHAJI ADEGBOYEGA OYETOLA, CON

We have watched with utter consternation, how the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Alhaji Adegboyega Oyetola, has offered little or nothing in your administration 's strong desire to vitalize the marine sector and ultimately boost the revenue generation profile of the country, so as to greatly reduce the overdependence on crude oil as mainstay of our economy.

Our major anger is the indifference the Minister has demonstrated in your pledge to dredge the Escravos Bar Mouth and Warri River, with a view to allow bigger ships and vessels access Delta Ports and subsequently revitalize commercial activities in Delta and neighbouring states, for the overall benefit of the Nation.

Your Excellency Sir, all entreaties made to the Minister and heads of parastatals under him, either through written or verbal communication, to make them commit to the dredging of Escravos Bar Mouth/ Warri River, have fell on deaf ears. This is not only disrespectful to the Ugborodo people, other Itsekiris and our neighbours, but tantamount to economic sabotage and deliberate attempt to project your administration in bad light before Deltans.

It is vitally important at this juncture to let you know that vessels that occasionally pass through the Escravos Bar Mouth, are often grounded for more than two weeks, as a result of NNPCL pipelines shallowly laid decades ago, resulting in astronomical increase in transportation and allied costs on the part of the importers. This leads to near comatose of the over 20 petrol depots in Delta State and eventually translates into huge financial burden on the consumers, especially riverine dwellers who are compelled to cough out times two of what urban residents spend to buy diesel, PMS (fuel) and other petroleum products. Succinctly put, our people in the coastal communities, spend far more money to buy fuel, diesel and cooking gas for domestic use, compared to those in the towns and cities. Even though the bulk of the oil and gas resources are in the riverine communities, we suffer the consequences of increase in petroleum products more, while the pollution of our environment by oil and gas majors, has killed fishing and other forms of whenever the management of Nigerian Ports Authority is called upon to address the situation of vessels going aground at the Escravos Bar Mouth, they are quick to blame it on NNPCL pipelines, while the NNPCL on its part, gives an impression of helplessness.

Previous governments had corruptly feasted on the situation at Escravos Bar Mouth, by awarding contracts for mere sweeping of the Bar, ignoring the real challenge of relocating the pipelines shallowly laid and dredging the Bar alongside the Warri River.

Despite your well - intended assurances of opening up Warri, Burutu, Sapele and Koko ports, as promised during your electioneering campaign, Alhaji Adegboyega Oyetola and heads of Nigerian Ports Authority as well as sister MDAs, have through their actions, made vast majority of Deltans wrongly feel that Your Excellency is only interested in further advancing the socio - economic life of ports in Lagos State.

Mr. President, unlike your predecessors, who were only interested in the huge resources (crude oil and natural gas) in our communities, we are of the opinion that you are truly committed to changing the narrative. It is consequent upon this trust, that we demand the following sir:

* Sack the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Alhaji Adegboyega Oyetola immediately and replace him with a competent and vibrant Nigerian.

* Order immediate personnel restructure in the top hierarchy of Nigerian Ports Authority, so as to address the nonchalance exhibited towards the development of Delta Ports.

. Direct the management of NNPCL to immediately relocate the pipelines grounding vessels and big ships at the Escravos Bar Mouth

* Initiate immediate action towards the dredging of Escravos Bar Mouth and Warri River.

Your Excellency, with all sense of responsibility and patriotism, if these demands are not met within two weeks (14 days) from the date of this publication, we may not be able to guarantee smooth operations of the multi national oil and gas companies operating in our area.

Signed:

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