A chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and former Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Yekini Nabena has called for the relocation of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to the Niger Delta region.
The APC chieftain also called for the relocation of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, steel development, trade, and investment to Benue, Kogi, and Kano States where their raw materials and natural endowments are in abundance.
The Bayelsa-born politician spoke against the backdrop of the controversy that trailed the purported move to relocate part of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to Lagos State for the efficiency of its activities.
According to Nabena, the issue of oil companies relocating to the oil-producing Niger Delta region had been debated severally in the Nigerian Senate with the companies not heeding to the calls.
“The Senate had asked International Oil Companies (IOCs) to relocate their headquarters to the Niger Delta region to fast-track the host communities economic development but some powerful interests in Lagos are preventing this for their selfish interests.”
Nabena who was the deputy national publicity secretary of the APC, expressed disappointment with President Bola Tinubu for keeping a sealed lip on the relocation of key agencies of government to Lagos.
Nabena, who made reference to an interview Tinubu granted and published in April 11, 1997, titled ‘I don’t believe in one Nigeria – Tinubu’, said the presidency must come out clear on the real reasons for relocation of the two affected agencies and not the flimsy excuses given so far.
He maintained that federal agencies are symbols of Nigerian unity and should not be played with.
The APC chieftain said: “If efficiency of these agencies is the main reason for plan to relocate them to Lagos State, we from the Niger Delta are also asking that the NNPCL, NIMASA, NPA and others will be more effective in either Bayelsa, Rivers or Delta states.
“In the same way, Federal Ministry of Mine and Steal should be moved to Kogi state where we have the Ajaokuta Steal for efficiency.
“I also believe that that the Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment should either be relocated to Kano or Anambra states where trade is done in high proportion. In the same way, Federal Ministry of Agriculture should be taken to Benue State, the food basket of the Nation.”
The APC chieftain also expressed shock that the National Assembly is keeping quiet over some developments ongoing in the country, adding that the leadership of the 10th Assembly must tell Nigerian public where the Christmas money they shared came from.
He said: “Nigeria is being looted within six months of this government and the National Assembly is keeping quiet as if nothing is happening.
“The National Assembly has not seen anything wrong in the ongoing well reported Betta Edu scandal where billions of our patrimony is been played with.
“This National Assembly must also tell Nigerians the source of money and bags of rice they shared for Christmas if it was budgeted for or not, we deserve to know.”
