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NNPC Ltd: Buhari Must Stop Strangulating The South-South People
NNPC transformed into a limited liability company is another oppression and intimidation of the South-South natives, aborigines of the land that are producing the oil, condensate, and gas which generate the income that is sustaining the entire Nigerian nation.
How long will a person be made to live by the riverside and don’t have access to the river water to wash hands? South-South people are living by the river and don’t have water to wash hands and instead wash hands with spittle.
The deliberate insensitivity President Muhammadu Buhari has demonstrated to the limited NNPC means he has further oppressed the people of the South-South. A few days ago he proposed a malevolent Water Resources Bill to the National Assembly to forcefully take over the creeks/riversides of the people of that Zone. I strongly protested in writing against it.
Buhari has lost governance ideas and appointed people who are clueless as his special advisers and ministers/directors. I am a patriotic Nigerian who believes in one united Nigeria. Buhari has disappointed me with his one-sided administration.
I know of some Northerners and natives of Daura including Alhaji Abdullah Bukar who spent most of his young/adult years in Shell (SPDC), in Warri and he is one of the foremost engineers in this country that is a patriotic Nigerian and believes in one united Nigeria irrespective of where you come from.
I also know many police officers who are Northerners, much as I know Emirs who are patriotic, good Nigerians and believe in one united Nigeria. I say it the way it is, no matter who and what is involved. I am not criticizing Buhari because he is a Northerner. I am criticizing Buhari as a weak leader that has surrounded himself with weak/clueless aides that are not advising him well and praising him that all is well. Nigeria has sunk from the bad governance of Buhari in such inciting proportion that it will take a long time to clear the scars of the attendant pains
I call on Buhari to immediately sack all these directors and appoint people of good character and people that can deliver in the NNPC Ltd with reasonable numbers from the South-South.
As stated by Kesiena Gbemre, “Since the inception of NNPC till date the South-South has had minimal control or input in the corporation. Understandably we are all Nigerians and every qualified citizen should be allowed to work in the organization.
However, being that oil, condensate and gas are primarily found in the South-South of the country, the South-South should be given majority employment rights. The marginalization of the South-South has caused serval riots and communal clashes which have claimed many lives.
The fact that the majority of the petroleum ministers and NNPC GMDs have been of Northern origin is a clear example of how the South-South, essentially the owners of the petroleum resources have been segregated and not allowed to participate. This current privatization program has seen only one South-South person being appointed as a director, a decision, in my opinion, would only further divide the nation and add fuel to the general belief that the northerners have indiscriminate control of the nation”.
Zik Gbemre
July 23, 2022