Buhari has not allocated any oil bloc – Kachikwu

Uyo - Minister of State for Petroleum
Resources, Ibe Kachikwu, has clarified that
President Muhammadu Buhari has not allocated
oil blocs to any individual since he came into
office.
The minister made the clarification on Monday
in Uyo at the South-South region Town Hall
Meeting organised by the Ministry of
Information and Culture.
The minister who was responding to questions
by some aggrieved participants from the region
over alleged un-equitable distribution of oil
blocs, said that the Federal Government would
be fair and just in giving out such advantages.
"Since we came into office, the government has
not allocated any oil bloc.
"The president has said that he will need to
correct the mess created by the past
administrations before we begin to think of
giving out such advantages.
"The president has emphasized to us, the
ministers that there should be no unjustifiable
favour and any action we take we must be able
to defend it.
"When the time for the oil bloc allocation
comes, it will follow very clear due process," he
said.
Kachikwu stressed that he was one of those
who believed that the South-South people
should benefit from oil blocs because it would
be part of "giving back to the chicken that laid
the eggs".
He said it would go a long way to empower the
people and make them to engage in genuine oil
deals, rather than being contractors to oil
companies.
The minister, however, reiterated that when
government wants to consider the allocation, it
would be given to those who have skills and
the finance to develop the blocs.
Kachikwu said that the Federal Government had
finalised the Integrated Power Project with
Mobil Oil Company that would produce 500
megawatts of power as well as gas pipeline
project in Akwa Ibom.
He said the total investment for the project,
including provision of infrastructure in the area
of locations, was seven billion dollar.
The minister promised that the Federal
Government would locate oil depots and
modular refineries in the state through private
capital intervention.
In addressing the challenges of militancy in the
region, Kachikwu said he had reached out to
the Niger Delta Avengers for a truce with the
Federal Government to end destruction to oil
installations.
He said the activity of the militants blowing up
oil installations was affecting the economy and
government would use all means possible to
end it.
Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, who
was also at the Town Hall Meeting, assured
that the Federal Government would deliver on
the developmental projects it promised
Nigerians.
According to him, "it is time to end the blame
game and move forward to concentrate on the
delivery of democracy dividends."
He said government would deliver the Calabar
to Lagos coastal rail line project, the Calabar to
Porth Harcourt, and Lagos to Kano rail projects
to ease movement of people and goods.
Responding to an allegation from a member of
the audience, Amaechi said he did not influence
the appointment of the Director-General of Niger
Delta Development Commission, Ibim
Seminitari.
He said the insinuation that he lobbied the
president to take the position from an indigene
of Akwa Ibom for Seminitari in negation of
zoning arrangement was wrong.
The minister said that the president had noted
the zoning arrangement and correction would
be made.
Amaechi also said that government was in the
process of restructuring NIMASA in order to
reposition it to deliver on its statutory mandate.
source - News24 NIGERIA
- NAN