Niger Delta Humanitarian Group Issues 30 Days Stay Action Notice To NNPC Over Their Plan To fix Federal Roads With N621.2B
By Wilson Macaulay
…Urges PMB To Convert Funds For The Establishment Of The 97 Modular Refineries In The Niger Delta Region
The leadership of Peace, Development, Security and Humanitarian Rights Association of the Niger Deltans has issued a 30 Days stay action notice to stop the NNPC intention or pronouncement to spend N621.2Billion to fix 1804.6 kilometers network of Federal roads across the country .
The Group argued and challenged the action as a policy summersault, which is outside the statutory function of NNPC Nigeria Limited that have a catalogue of Problems that need to be tackled decisesively instead of towing this path of swimming against the tide which is too apaque for the people to understand.
The Group while urging the Federal Government to direct the NNPC now known , called and addressed as NNPC Nig. Ltd to use the funds for the establishment of Ninety-Seven (97) Modular Refineries to address and solve the problem of perennial scarcity of refined petroleum products particularly petrol, kerosene, diesel, cooking and industrial gas which are very essential for consumption to Nigerians.
Comrade Mike J.K Tiemo the Group President who lamented that there is so much neglect in the Niger Delta region during the interactive session with the media stated that the NNPC is indeed meddlesome for thinking of fixing roads for the Federal Ministry of Works while they have a plethora of problems like, illegal bunkering, hike in Price of petroleum products, unexplainable high subsidy regime, scarcity of products, pipeline vandalism , pollution in the Niger Delta region, insecurity, unemployment and other similar issues to grapple with.
Comrade Tiemo the Group President while acknowledging that our problems are self inflicted, observed that it is a truism that the silent of the good people gives ample opportunity for evil to thrive more in our society hence he is emphasing that Nigerians should no longer take every garbage thrown at us as a policy in the name of fixing a failling economy that has been wallowing in the wilderness for donkey years .
According to Comrade Mike Tiemo, if NNPC Nigeria Limited wants Nigerians to believe that they can perform the duties of the Federal Ministry of works, we are saying that the company is only claiming to have the skin of Esau while the voice is clearly that of Jacob.
While calling on General Muhammadu Buhari( RTD,) the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, the Group Managing Director of NNPC Nig. Ltd Melle Kolo Kyari , to impede and withdraw the action and direct NNPC to use the funds for the establishment of Ninty-seven (97) Modular Refineries Comrade Mike Tiemo added: “let us not take wrong economic steps to form bad precedents that will prolong our stay in the quagmire we found ourselves today”
Speaking further , Comrade Tiemo remarked: “it is indeed necessary to put an altercation into these kind of jaundice policies that will not yield any good result for the frustrated masses based on what experience have thought us”.
Continuing he stressed:“Since the agenda of NNPC going to fix Federal roads at the expense of their statutory duties, is ill-motivated, we must stand firm as relevant stakeholders to articulate our position to ensure that the desire of the modern pharaoh in NNPC Towers and Aso Rock is brought to naught for the good of the citizenry.
Tiemo reaffirmed in his speech that it is disgraceful for NNPC Nig. Ltd to derail from serious issues confronting their attention and veer into projects which should be handled by the Federal Ministry of Works adding that the idea is a confirmation of a sign of NNPC”,s poor judgment of how best to assist Mr President in his audacious Next Level Agenda to lead Nigeria out of the woods.
He explained that no country can guarantee success without landing at a destructive end if they continue with these kind of developmental templates which clearly show that the economic drivers are truly clueless
Comrade Tiemo who relied on the Jamaican Reggae Legend Nesta Bob Marley of blessed memory said: ” Since it is absurd for us to stand aloof and look ,we have come out by this notice to stop the NNPC Nig. Ltd with all their co-travelers in the corridors of power to think right for once and take the necessary step to lead Nigeria to her pride of place.
Comrade Tiemo opined that untill abnormalities like this are corrected with all the strength it deserves, the healing process of our checkered economy will be a dream in fiasco, adding that it is a disservice to Nigerians
for a crucial Agency of Government, like the NNPC to fail in holding tenaciously to
the fundamental duties for which it was created.
He maintained that since it is impossible to place the cart before the horse, if NNPC Nig. Ltd is ready to execute road projects with so much amount of funds, they have to first provide these funds for the immediate flag -off for the establishment of Modular Refineries in the polluted and marginalized region of the Niger Delta where there is feed stock or crude raw material available in close proximity to solve the problems of accute petroleum products shortage and unbearable subsidy regime which are more crucial as fundamental National problems compared to the roads they intend to fix.
Going further, Tiemo said: ” NNPC as a financial giant with so much fiscal muscles, the N621.2billion should be provided for Modular Refineries which is a primary problem of the NNPC before the commencement of the road projects that is secondary to the NNPC.
The Group President suggested that to fix the roads, the Lekki toll gate plaza system can be applied whereby the roads can be constructed by the PPP approach while toll is collected to offset the bills to enable NNPC concentrate on their statutory functions as mentioned above to curb the unscrupulous activities going on in the Niger Delta region and to encourage rapid growth and accelerated development of our mono based economy resting solely on Crude oil .
The group President warned that if these issues are not looked into after the expiration of the 30 Days stay action notice ,the Group will carry out a massive protest to shut down all oil facilities in the Niger Delta region and also to explore all legal measures to address the thorny issues of scarcity of petroleum products, pipeline vandalism, illegal bunkering, hike in Price of Petroleum Products , that is leading to persistent hyper inflation in our nation, unbearable subsidy regime which is ripping off our common wealth and the issues of unemployment etc for justice to prevail in the overall interest of all Nigerians.
In summation, Comrade Tiemo who assertted that the Group will not be browbeated to Chicken out strongly advised that the President Muhammadu Buhari led Federal Government should direct and detail the Federal Ministry of Works, Federal Ministry of Transport, Federal Internal Revenue Services, Nigeria Ports Authority, Nigeria Custom and other relevant Agencies of Government to repair the affected federal roads instead of distracting NNPC Nig.Ltd which have so much to do as mentioned above in line with the Act of Parliament Which brought the Company into existence .