Jonathan Visits Gas Blast site, Assures on SURE

Ayorinde Oluokun/Abuja

President Goodluck Jonathan today assured members of the Koluoma community in Bayelsa State and adjoining villages affected by the gas explosion at a Chevron gas exploration well in January, that the Federal Government will provide more relief materials to alleviate the hardship suffered by the people resulting from impact of the explosion.

The President said government was keen on addressing environmental issues and their attendant ecological impact across sections of the country.

The President promised the communities that the National Emergency Management Agency(NEMA) will facilitate the deployment of more relief materials to them. He commended them for showing restraint, tact and discipline in the way and manner they have channeled their grievances and assured them that government will do its best to address their complaints.

President Jonathan also enjoined Chevron to provide more relief materials and other sundry relief items to the people. He urged oil companies operating in the country to undertake the training of personnel, especially residents of communities within their operational base as part of its compensation and corporate responsibility to the people.

Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson said the state has been exposed to risk due to activities of oil companies operating within its communities and asked that the companies learn to respect their environment in order to ensure the preservation of the nation’s ecological system. He disclosed that his administration has set up legal and technical committees to harmonise assessment reports conducted.

Speaking on behalf of the communities, former Bayelsa State House of Assembly member, Hon. Ayaowei listed the problems facing the people resulting from the gas explosion to include inability to continue with their fishing businesses, lack of portable drinking water, medical care and electricity as well as lack of access roads to link the communities.

Chevron Managing Director, Andrew Fawthrop while regretting the incident, promised that the company will commence community and medical development works within in the communities soon.

President Jonathan was accompanied to Koluama by Bayelsa State Governor, Hon. Seriake Dickson, Ministers of Petroleum, Deziani Allison-Madueke, Environment, Hadiza Malaifia and Niger-Delta, Elder Godsday Orubebe and was warmly received by the elated community members including traditional rulers, youth, school pupils and students.

President Goodluck Jonathan has also debunked media reports that he had abandoned the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment (SURE) programme.

He said he never gave such an indication.

Jonathan has has come under heavy criticisms in the past few days from commentators over what many interpreted to be abandonment of the programme designed to be a palliative for the recent increase in the price of petrol and the attendant increase in price of goods and services.

This followed a statement by the President at the 58th National Executive Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party on 20 February 2012 in which he said the programme is no longer realistic. The President had at that occasion directed the withdrawal of pamphlets which contains various programmes to be implemented under SURE which was being distributed to party members.

But in a press release signed on his behalf by Reuben Abati, his spokesperson on Monday, the President accused the opposition of deliberately misrepresenting what he said on the issue on the issue of reviewing the SURE programme at the PDP meeting.

“What he said in his opening remarks at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting last week, was that the full implementation of government’s palliatives to cushion the negative effects of the fuel subsidy removal as contained in the original SURE programme, was no longer feasible and will be reviewed in view of the partial rather than full removal of the subsidy on petrol”, the President said in the statement.

He added that since the implementation of SURE programme was based on full deregulation of the downstream sector of the oil industry which government was unable to achieve, it is natural that there will be a review of the programme.

“ This new reality informed the President’s directive that the original SURE programme documents already circulated to the public, be withdrawn in order not to give the public false expectations.

“The SURE programme HAS NOT been cancelled. What President Goodluck Jonathan said at the 58th National Executive Committee meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is as follows: “We developed this with the expectation that we were going to completely deregulate the downstream sector of the oil industry, (after) the 100 per cent removal of subsidy.” ….. “We couldn’t achieve that though there was an increase in the price. I don’t want this to be distributed; it will give a wrong impression.”

“These comments only show that President Jonathan is being transparent with the public rather than offer them unrealistic expectations. Sincerity of purpose is a virtue and should be encouraged.
“For those who are still in doubt, let it be stressed that the Dr. Christopher Kolade Committee charged with implementing the SURE programme, is still at work and has not been disbanded while a new SURE document containing the reviewed palliatives will soon be released to the public.

“We appeal to labour unions and other opinion-moulders in the society to desist from misinforming the public about government’s well-meaning programmes geared towards addressing the critical needs of the citizenry”, he added.