Niger Delta leaders on Thursday in Yenagoa said they had no reason to doubt that the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, will complete the rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt Refinery.
The leaders said they knew President Muhammadu Buhari and Timipre Sylva well enough to believe them whenever they give their word on any issue.
They expressed dismay that despite several public assurances by Sylva, some Nigerians are still cynical about the Port Harcourt Refinery.
At a meeting in Yenagoa, the leaders praised Sylva for setting positive parameters for future political leaders.
‘’Chief Timipre Sylva is tackling the problems in the petroleum sector’’
The leaders hoped that when the rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt refinery was completed, it would work at 100 percent.
‘’We expect a professional Operations and Maintenance company to run the refinery’’.
The leaders emphasized competence, performance, pragmatic and purposeful leadership.
The leaders are equally hopeful of the National Assembly passing the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB)
Briefing journalists on the outcome of the Niger Delta Leaders meeting, Chairperson of Niger Delta People’s Movement (NDPM), Mrs. Ibifuro Tatua, said the leaders praised Sylva for moving the petroleum sector on the fast lane of development and turning the country’s economic fortunes around.
Particularly, the leaders praised him for attracting investment to the country, alleviating poverty and assuaging the pangs of deprivation.
The leaders urged Sylva to ignore the ranting of the former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank.
‘’Chief Timipre Sylva is a benevolent leader with unquestionable democratic credentials, whose actions are driven by altruism and public welfare” the leaders said.
On Nigeria’s quest for a gas nation, the leaders said they had been championing the campaign for full utilisation of huge gas deposit in the country for economic development.
‘’Chief Timipre Sylva is an honest man. He will ensure that every dollar, every cent of the $1.5 billion proposed for the rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt refinery is accounted for’’.
