ONYEDI GABRIEL, Port Harcourt
The Ijaw Youths Council (IYC) Worldwide has described the approval of $1.5bn for the rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt Refinery as a sign that the Federal Government has woken up from its slumber.
The IYC in a statement signed by its President, Peter Timothy Igbifa, said though reviving and optimising the refinery was long overdue, it was better late than never.
Igbifa, who described the move as a welcome development said it would create employment for the teeming jobless youths in the Niger Delta and increase the country’s refining capacity.
The IYC boss also expressed optimism that the project when completed would reduce youth restiveness and criminality in the region, advising the Federal Government not to play politics with the project.
“It has happened before and became a conduit for siphoning money but we are hopeful that this will be different,” he said.
Igbifa called on the government to swing into action immediately by releasing money ASAP to back up its approval.
Igbifa said: “This should not end in funds approval, money should be released as at when due. We don’t want to hear the usual excuse that the project is being delayed for lack of funds.
“All bottlenecks must be removed. We listened carefully as the Minister of State for Petroleum, Chief Timipre Sylva, reel out the timeline for the project and we are expecting the rehabilitation to follow the timeline.”