South-South Forum Berates Seriake Dickson Over Comments on Timipre Sylva

South-South Forum Berates Seriake Dickson Over Comments on Timipre Sylva

  • The recently passed Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) is still a trending topic in the oil-rich Niger Delta region
  • A group in the region has hailed President Muhammadu Buhari and the minister of state for petroleum, Timipre Sylva for the bill
  • The group, South-South Emerging Leaders’ Forum, however, berated Senator Seriake Dickson over his comments concerning the bill

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FCT, Abuja - The South-South Emerging Leaders’ Forum (SELF) has told President Muhammadu Buhari and all the Niger Delta leaders to hold former Bayelsa state governor Seriaki Dickson responsible in case of any outbreak of violence in the Niger Delta.

The forum also described as irresponsible and disgraceful the accusation made against the minister of state for Petroleum Chief Timipre Sylva by Dickson over the recently passed Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB).

Timipre Sylva
The forum noted that Timipre Sylva deserves commendation and not condemnation for the PIB. Photo credit: Sefa Karacan/Anadolu Agency
Source: Getty Images

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SELF stated that Dickson's comment was in bad faith

Legit.ng gathered that Dickson, now a senator, had accused Sylva of proposing 2.5 percent operating surplus to host communities against President Muhammadu Buhari's 5 percent in the PIB when he addressed the National Assembly over the contentious bill.

Dickson also asked the host communities in the region to hold the minister responsible for the 3% approved for them.

Responding to Senator Dickson's accusation through a statement signed by its national coordinator, Comrade Benjamin Kolowei, and sent to Legit.ng on Saturday, July 24, SELF warned the former governor to stop playing politics with the PIB issue.

According to the group, Dickson must explain to his constituents why he abandoned the meeting where the contentious bill was being discussed.

Forum also recalled how the PDP administration abandoned PIB

The statement also accused Dickson of contributing nothing to the realization of the PIB and development of host communities even as a sitting governor, saying the former governor was only interested in his village with derivation funds.

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Part of the statement read:

“Under the PDP administration, with President Goodluck Jonathan from Bayelsa, Dickson as a sitting governor, Alison Madueke as minister of petroleum, and the PDP-dominated National Assembly, the PIB could not see the light of the day.
“The likes of Senator Dickson should bury their heads in shame and by now be answering questions on their ignominious roles instead of heaping blame on the patriotic minister of state for petroleum.”

The forum advised Senator Dickson to stop instigating violence in the oil-rich south-south region.

Recall that SELF recently declared that it was not by accident that the long-awaited PIB was passed into law a few days before the birthday anniversary of Sylva.

Sylva, himself also a former governor of oil-rich Bayelsa state, turned 57 on Wednesday, July 7, 2021.

The forum said Sylva's name has come to occupy a chapter in the contemporary history of Nigeria based on the empirical indices of his nationalistic, patriotic, and detribalised values and contributions to national cohesion and development in general.

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In March 2021, SELF expressed happiness over the approval of $1.5 billion (about N600 billion) by the Federal Executive Council for the rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt refinery.

The forum described the news as exciting even as it commended President Muhammadu Buhari and Chief Sylva.

In a statement sent to Legit.ng on Thursday, March 18, the forum said fixing the refinery will positively impact the economic activities in the south-south region.

Source: Legit.ng

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