Sack Lokpobiri now, group urges Tinubu Accuses Minister of dereliction of duties

A group, ex-militants for Renewed Hope, EMRH, has called on President Bola Tinubu to sack the Minister of State for Petroleum, Oil, Mr. Heineken Lokpobiri, saying rather than squarely face his duties, the minister is distracting himself with needless politicking and other issues.
The group has, therefore, given the President two weeks to axe the minister or they will take to the street to protest continued ineffective running of the oil sector that has brought pains on the citizens.
The group issued the warning after an enlarged meeting of members in Asaba, Delta State.
The position of the group, contained in a statement, was signed by its Coordinator, High Chief Oghenevo Akaruese.
The group accused Lokpobiri of not being up an doing regarding taming the monster of oil theft, a development that is costing Nigeria losses amounting to millions of dollars daily.
The EMRH added that from credible security sources, it found out that many top shots in the oil industry were conniving with others to perpetrate oil theft.
“We are a support group for the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the Niger Delta, which fought hard for the victory of Bola Ahmed Tinubu and its ascension to the presidency. So, we will not fold our hands and allow some late comers to the party and who are fortunate to benefit from where they didn’t sow to destroy a government we fought to install,” they said.
The group noted that the poor performance of the oil sector under the minister had become a bad advertisement on the image of the administration and the Renewed Hope Agenda generally.
The EMRH also alleged that the minister was distracting himself with preparations for 2027 governorship election in Bayelsa State, when all hands should be on deck to make good the opportunities he has now as a public office holder
The group has, therefore, vowed to withdraw its support for President Tinubu if he fails to sack the Minister.
“Mr. President has a choice to either sack Minister Lokpobiri or he will have to contend with us as we will have no other choice but to leave the APC as a party and return to the trenches”.
According to the group, their actions are borne out of patriotism, love for the Tinubu government and in the overall interest of the country in the face of Nigeria’s inability to meet its crude oil supply target with the negative concomitant impact on the nation’s economy.
They lamented that the oil industry is bleeding under the watch of a son of the Niger Delta, “who we expected to serve the Tinubu administration conscientiously. He is rather focused on his inordinate personal political ambition and is serving with a divided loyalty that is counterproductive to the Renewed Hope Agenda of the government.”
They pointed out that the call to sack the Minister represents the views of vast majority of stakeholders in the Niger Delta and pleaded with the President not to allow himself to be deceived by praise singers in his government.