…Ask Oil Giants To Return To Operational Base
Leading gubernatorial hopeful in Delta State and former minister of education Olorogun Barr. Kenneth Gbagi, has noted that the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) would bounce back at the center come 2023.
The governorship aspirant, equally noted that the country would not disintegrate just as he accused the federal government of being the problem of the country.
“If there is any problem in Nigeria, it is the government. What ought to be beautiful, what ought to be the happiest thing of our life is our population. Population anywhere in the world is a money spinner, is an economic driver but all of that we are touring with, hence we are where we are today”.
Olorogun Gbagi, stated this in an interview while fielding questions from journalists shortly after returning home from Ondo State where he was conferred with Aare Atunluse of Akure kingdom at his Oginibo country home in Ughelli south local government area of the state.
He said the cross carpeting by members of the PDP to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) are full blooded members of the opposition party at the federal, “All the people running from PDP to APC, they are not APC members. They are PDP members in blood, soul and body and they are all going to work for PDP.
“PDP is going to produce the next president in Nigeria, If you don’t marry two wives, they say, you do not know which one is better. Is for you to marry two wives and see the difference”.
On the crash of the naira to dollar, Gbagi noted: “When I left as minister in Nigeria, we left at a N156 to a dollar. That is when I left government and it was maintained, it snowball within themselves”.
Speaking on the insecurity that has bedevilled the nation, the security expert, said: “You have the skimmishes of Boko Haram or what have you but it was not in the magnitude of what we are talking about today. Nobody impregnated our mothers, wives, sisters in their villages on the guise that they are herdsmen. Nobody thought of the magnitude of these gun touting, this blood seeking drunkenness, nobody thought about it.
“We as Nigerians must bring ourselves to thought and correct immediately what the situation is, before machineries or government of nations other than our nation comes to correct it for us. No government in the world would want to tour with Nigeria, the way Nigeria, is today because the population of Nigeria, will explode the world were we to allow it to get out of hand the way we are going.
“So, I can assure us that Nigeria will not break, just like what happened in 2015, if you remember vividly, I was telling Jonathan and I granted interview to Vanguard at a time. If you followed what happened, all these people they are going to use SSS and EFCC to threatened that if you don’t join APC, we will jail you. All of them are not APC members, they are PDP members that will come back.
“And you will have a situation in the next election where they who thought they are force by their own thinking to join APC, they will be bearing APC in the day and the night, they are PDP members”.
While calling on the multi national Oil Companies to relocate to the base of operation, Gbagi said: “If our area is good for you to exploit their oil, the gas and whatever is there, move the company there. Let them relocate to the people, let them stay with them. You don’t have any oil company or anybody operating in Texas, going to live in New York and paying tax to New York but exploiting the oil in Texas, it doesn’t work that way.
“It is about time people start respecting our people. Let those companies before it is too long, move to their areas of production for them to see peace, for them to believe. We don’t want to go back to the days of cutting pipes, we don’t want to the days of destroying anything. Let us sit on a round table and negotiate.
“What is Mobile doing in Lagos? What money do they make from Lagos? What is Chevron doing in Lekki Lagos? They are tapping their oil. Let the government provide them adequate security like they can get in Lagos and move.
“And in any case, I had made a proposal when I was a minister. If Chevron move to Delta, we own 69 percent of all the drills government should allow them build an international airport and land their aircraft directly here and it is same custom in Lagos are Nigerians. The custom in Delta are Nigerians and if course, development will start flowing. The people will have a sense of belonging with Chevron, they would want to support them because they want to succeed.
“They will license their vehicles here, they will get drivers here, they will get cooks here. Soz the economy will evolve. Move Mobile headquarters to Eket, sell the property they have in Lagos. Let government take their 60 percent and they take their 40 percent and relocate to Eket. Let the people of Eket enjoy the benefits of what He I’d has identify them with and gives to them.
“So, the PIB must go further in the amendment. Let Shell move totally to Port Harcourt. What are they doing in Lagos? If you calculate, which we did at some point, the money which they spent on aircraft movement of their staff within Lagos and their various locations of operation, the country is bleeding. Whose money it is?
“It is the oil producing communities money that they are spending. Do you Know how many aircraft comes from Lagos everyday to Escravos? Bringing workers in and out, not staying with the people but their oil is good for you to carry, their gas is good for you to carry, it is not going to happen.
“The PIB must be totally reviewed. I incidentally muted this idea with Deziani at a time and Jonathan when I was a minster. Let Agip move to Bayelsa, get an airport for them. These whole idea of people flying from Bayelsa to Lagos to Abuja to fly out of the country, is a nonestarter”, pointing out that the PIB is a lasting peace document that must be corrected very well by Buhari, for it to work.
