Amaechi Lambasts NUPENG

Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State has lashed out at the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), for wanting to import petroleum products into the country rather fight for the building of more refineries in Nigeria.

Speaking while commissioning NUPENG’s South South Zonal office complex in Port Harcourt, Governor Amaechi said the union should rather demand for the removal of subsidy on petroleum products, to allow private firms build refineries in Nigeria to check over dependence on imported products.

The governor disclosed that the present situation where the federal government spend about N600 billion subsidizing petroleum products would not encourage investments in building refineries, stressing that if government removes subsidy, there would be competition in building refineries, and more people would be employed.

He blamed NUPENG leadership for abandoning the struggle against injustice, a role played by the founding fathers of the union, including people like Frank Kokori, and rather joining the Nigerian state to perpetrate injustice against the people of the Niger Delta region by locating NUPENG’s headquarters outside Niger Delta, in an area where oil is not produced.

According to him, “what is NUPENG’s Head Office doing in Lagos, when all the oil companies operate in the Niger Delta? You should know what justice is all about, so, what is the struggle against unfair treatment? I think the struggle ended with people like comrade Kokori.”

Amaechi posited that the much needed development of Nigeria would not be achieved without a vibrant opposition party and in this case, the labour unions.

The governor argued that the task of moving the country forward should not be left in the hands of the government of the day, as concerted efforts should be made to uplift the genuine struggle, because the interest of the nation supersedes individual gain.

“I believe Nigeria can change, we have the resources to make the change if we govern well”, Governor Amaechi declared, while calling on all stakeholders to do their best for the country to bring about the desired change and position Nigeria as the giant of Africa.

Governor Amaechi congratulated the leadership of NUPENG for the achievement within a short time in office and promised to provide a power generating plant at the new NUPENG office in Port Harcourt and a bus to the union for their operation.

Also speaking, the Group Managing Director of Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Mr Austen Oniwon, represented by Mr Tony Ogbuigwe, lauded the leadership of NUPENG and promised continued cooperation with the body as the NNPC plans to build more refineries in the country to ensure increased production of petroleum products.

The President of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar, commended Governor Amaechi for honouring the invitation, and for the various achievements recorded by his administration in education, health and road infrastructure which according to him, is a testimony that Rivers people did not make mistake in electing him to serve them.

Earlier, the President of NUPENG, Comrade Igwe Achese, said the union frowns at the current hike in prices of kerosene and diesel, adding that NUPENG has concluded plans to build petrol stations across the nation and talks are on to begin the importation of petroleum products with a foreign partnership.

Governor Amaechi was presented with NUPENG’s Eminent Individual Award, for outstanding achievements in leadership.

Meanwhile, following the recent permission granted states by the Federal Government to generate, transmit and distribute power within their areas of jurisdiction, Rivers State Government has inaugurated a Seven-member Electricity Power Distribution Committee to work out modalities for self sustenance in electricity supply in the state.

The Seven-man Committee, headed by the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), Managing Director, Mr Mutiu Summonu, has other members as Hon. Augustine Wokocha, Commissioner for Power, Mr Toyin Olagunju, Mr Emmanuel Georgewill and Mr Rotimi Onanuga while Mr Minabelem Michael-West, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Power is to serve as Secretary.

The Committee’s term of reference include reviewing the power supply situation in the state, with a view to developing a sustainable framework for improving power supply and develop a master plan for delivering power to critical infrastructure and industries in the state.

They are equally expected to access the investment requirements for stabilizing power supply, carry out an audit of on-going distribution and transmission projects in the state that will impact on the power supply stability.

The Committee is also to advice on sustainable framework for managing distribution infrastructure to maximise benefits to consumers and review the interface between the generation, transmission and distribution network within the state, as well as strategy to improve payment discipline within the state.

Inaugurating the Committee, Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi thanked members for accepting to serve, particularly the SPDC Managing Director whose presence is an indication of the seriousness the state government attaches to the work of the Committee, noting that by September the state would be generating about 460 megawatts of power, which when distributed would ensure stable supply.

“We are appealing to you to attach the same importance you attach to your job as Managing Director of Shell, it will be to your credit, and that of SPDC, if we are able to achieve this goal before the end of next year,” Governor Amaechi stated.

The governor, who disclosed that the state got the Federal Government to reverse its policy on power distribution, said the regulatory framework is one problem the state is beginning to overcome while the experts in the committee would address the issue of management in trying to organise the execution.

“My strategy to achieve result is to sideline anybody who poses problem, even if it involves extra funds, just to achieve our objectives, and when the objective is achieved, we can begin to meet with those people to ask how much they owe us, and what the government owes them, and reconcile the differences,” he observed.

The State Chief Executive urged them to isolate the industrial areas where companies and industries are located and provide them 24 hours power supply as quickly as possible and hope that before the end of 2012, Port Harcourt and the state would have regular supply of electricity.

He congratulated the Committee members for accepting to be patriotic enough to serve and promised to do all within his powers to support the Committee achieve the target.

Responding on behalf of the members, the Chairman of the Electricity Power Distribution Committee, Mr Mutiu Summonu, lauded Governor Amaechi for the vision, noting that he accepted to serve because of the commitment of the governor in whatever he sets out to do.

Mr Summonu assured that members of the Committee would do their best to help in achieving the vision which he believes is an important milestone for the state, adding that the effort would help to develop the economy of the people as an oil producing state.
By Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt