A Niger Delta group, the Niger Delta Transparency & Equity Initiative, NDTEI, says politicians that led five oil producing communities in Delta State in a protest at the National Assembly on Thursday April 25 are self-centered and selfish over their allegation that the Minister of Petroleum, Mrs. Diezani Allison-Madueke, the officials of the Ministry of Petroleum and Shell Petroleum Development Company, SPDC, secretly transferred oil blocs to Atlantic Energy Drilling Concept Limited and Septa Energy owned by one Mr. Jide Omokore.
The protesters in a release declared that Mr. Omokore’s oil company neither tendered for, nor bided for the blocs, adding that by the deal, “60 per cent of NNDC’s 55 percent stake of these assets is about five billion barrels, which when calculated with the 2013 crude oil benchmark comes to $380 billion or N58.9trillion. This figure is exclusive of the four trillion cubic feet, 4TCF, of gas asset in the blocs valued at $15.72 trillion.”
But the NDTEI said the protesters claim is “wildly exaggerated figures without any attempt to benchmark them against any known industry standards.”
The NDTEI accused the leaders of the protest: Chief Ayirimi Emani, Chief Aribogha Johnny, Olorogun Jaro Egbo, Zino Onaemor; and Emmanuel Orwti of benefiting immensely from the oil wealth in Delta State at the expense of the communities they represent.
In a statement on Friday April 26, the group frowned at the news headlines drawn from the content of the press release issued by the protesters without verifying their allegations.
The NDTEI further claimed that the protest is part of a political agenda aimed at rubbishing the current administration following President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan’s perceived interest in seeking reelection in 2015. “The underlying factors here are that this is obviously political and the first salvo in what is perhaps a calculated attempt to rubbish all the gains this government has made in the last 2 years in transforming the oil industry, in order to kick start a negative and dubious campaign against this administration with 2015 in mind. We encourage this government to remain resolute and stand up against any attempt to hijack its laudable agenda which is aimed at improving the lot of all Nigerians”, the group stated.
Copyright: Fresh Angle International (www.freshangleng.com)
ISSN 2354 - 4104
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