ODAHIEKWU OGUNDE, YENAGOA
Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri has denied allegations in some quarters that he is planning to scuttle the billion-dollar Brass Fertiliser and Petrochemical Company project in the state.
The governor said that purveyors of such rumour had sinister motive to cause ethnic disharmony in the state.
He was reacting to a trending post on social media accusing him of plans to scuttle the project because it was sited in a “core Ijaw area”.
But in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Daniel Alabrah, the Governor said that those behind the allegation did not mean well for the state and the Ijaw nation, adding that only enemies of the state could concoct such falsehood and spread fake news on social media in order to create ethnic disaffection.
He maintained that his administration was committed to the unity and progress of the state and the Ijaw nation rather than engaging in pettiness and promoting a divisive agenda.
He said: “As governor of the only homogenous Ijaw state, I owe our people the responsibility of promoting and preserving our unity.
“Having been in the frontlines of advocacy for a better Ijaw nation in the past, I cannot now negate those cherished principles and ideals. It is therefore out of sync to ascribe to my person such primordial and base sentiments.”
Diri called on critical stakeholders, including the Minister of State for Petroleum, Chief Timipre Sylva, whose ministry supervises the project, to consider the overall interest of the state while working with others to ensure the project succeeds.
The billion-dollar investment sited in Odioama community in Brass Local Government Area had been on the drawing board for a while and the Diri administration has held meetings with various stakeholders in order for it to commence.
The state’s Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Biriyai Dambo, SAN, who has been part of the meetings, equally described the allegation against the governor as a blatant lie.
He said the governor from the inception of his administration has wholly supported the project.
Dambo said: “This is a blatant lie. We should try and get our facts straight and right. I have been part of the entire meetings with the governor and top officials of Brass Fertiliser and Petrochemical Limited.
“The Bayelsa State Government under Senator Douye Diri is in full support of the project and meetings are still ongoing to finetune the Joint Venture Agreement to be executed by the parties. Core Ijaw has had nothing to do with this.
“The progress, development and interest of the state is key to the administration. We must be very circumspect in whatever we utter or write.”
Also speaking, the Commissioner for Lands and Housing, Mr Esau Andrew, who hails from the host community, Odioama, said in all meetings on the fertiliser project, the governor had shown absolute commitment.
He claimed, however, that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) was being influenced to sabotage the project.
“That was deliberate, cheap and notorious blackmail intended to poison the minds of Bayelsans, all in a bid to cover a malicious intention. The governor has repeatedly said he would ensure safe and unencumbered operations as well as protect the share of the state and the host community.
“The governor held a meeting with the Chiefs Council of Odioama Kingdom and restated his stance of protecting the community’s equity share, and also informed them of his efforts in bringing about the prevailing peace in the Odioama Kingdom.
“Rather, it was someone else who covertly wanted to relocate the Brass fertiliser project from Odioama to the Okpoama LNG site in 2017. But the people of Odioama Kingdom vehemently protested and resisted it.
“This was the same cheap blackmail against the former governor, Seriake Dickson. The people of Odioama are fully aware of it and are ready to protect and defend our ancestral land,” Andrew said.