Minister of State for Petroleum, Heineken Lokpobiri, Distracted By 2027 Governorship Ambition – Yakiah
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Izzi Yakiah, has urged the Minister of State for Petroleum, Heineken Lokpobiri, to focus on his duties and avoid pursuing a political agenda at the detriment of his duties.
According to Yakiah, who spoke during an interview with Arise News on Wednesday, Lokpobiri is getting distracted by his 2027 governorship ambition in Bayelsa State.
He accused the Minister of “pursuing political issues for his own selfish agenda” while neglecting the completion of ongoing projects.
“The minister deliberately abandoned those critical issues and is pursuing political issues for his own selfish agenda,” Yakiah said, accusing Lokpobiri of engaging in unnecessary political manoeuvres.
Speaking against the backdrop of political happenings in Bayelsa State, Yakiah also claimed that the current commissioner for power, Engr. Komuko Akari Kharin, was inadequately qualified and had been appointed as a personal reward for his prior assistance to the current petroleum minister.
“The commissioner who is saying that you’re a PDP person now, serving in PDP government, what are you coming to do in an APC meeting?” he queried while urging the Governor to take note of such activities and address them appropriately.
In the same interview, the Pioneer Secretary of APC Bayelsa State, Marlin Daniel, emphasised that the Bayelsa APC issues at hand extend beyond mere party politics, describing it as corruption fighting back.
“This issue is not about party politics. The issue is bordered on corruption fighting back.
“There is no anti-party activity anywhere,” he remarked.
Daniel also accused the former Minister of State for Petroleum, Timipre Sylva, of chairing a local content board that initially agreed to construct a modular refinery in the Okpoma Brass Local Government Area, which the budget ballooned from $5 million to $35 million, with little progress made so far.
“When the present minister came on board, he saw these things, and he questioned it. They cornered him in order to bring him into the arrangement. He said no.”
Daniel further expressed optimism about the project’s potential to generate employment for thousands of Bayelsans, insisting that it remains a critical opportunity.
In response to the Pioneer Secretary, Yakiah noted Daniel’s ties to former Petroleum Minister Sylva, noting, “I know that Marlin, in 2007 to 2008, was working closely with Sylva as a Bayelsa Volunteer Coordinator. Sylva made him the pioneer secretary of APC.
“But, today, you see how people are coming on national television to bite the fingers that have fed them.”
The saga reflects a critical juncture for the APC in Bayelsa as it navigates internal conflicts and the broader implications of governance in the region.
Naija News reports the party recently went through some suspensions and reversals over alleged anti-party activities by some prominent leaders in the state.
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