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 organized 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 emphasised 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.
Credit: Leadership
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