A group under the auspices of the Indigenous Niger Delta Stakeholders Forum (INDSF) has appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to investigate the activities of the Minister of State for Petroleum, Heineken Lokpobiri, in the Nigerian Content Development Management Board (NCDMB).
The group claimed that since the appointment of Lokpobiri allegations of corruption, official misconduct and highwire political interest have been rocking the board.
The stakeholders particularly accused Lokpobiri of desperately interfering in the day-to-day running of the affairs of the agency in flagrant breach of the Act establishing the board.
The group, in a statement issued in Yenagoa by its Chairman, Comrade Emovon Kokori, said it was worried that the lofty ideas behind the establishment of the board were being defeated.
Kokori claimed that the minister was dropping the name of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to unduly interfere in the running of the affairs of the agency.
He said the group was appalled by the conduct of the minister when he stormed the head office of the Board in Yenagoa on the eve of the appointment of new management for the board.
He said: “Rather than wait for the inauguration of the new board, he hurriedly stormed the board headquarters few hours after the new board was announced. He directed a deputy manager to issue transfer notification few hours after the new Executive Secretary was announced.
“Notifications were sent to all staff at about 00.40am. Why the hurry? The Executive Secretary was sworn in days back and the board was yet to be inaugurated. So on what authority is the minister acting ?”.
The group said that the minister came to effect changes on the principal officers in the board and replaced some with his loyalists.
Kokori further alleged that some workers were issued promotion letters without following due process.
He said: “This is in clear breach of the extant provisions of the law establishing the agency as promotions and deployments are functions vested in the management as an institution established by an Act of the National Assembly”.
He called on Mr. President to probe the activities of the minister insisting that some of his actions were not in tandem with the policy thrust of the present administration.
While claiming that the minister’s behaviour was also opposed to the Renewed Hope Agenda of the President, Kokori said Lokpobiri’s antics were not unconnected with his ambition to contest the governorship of Bayelsa in 2027.