Oil Theft: Rivers Governorship Candidate Charges Monarchs, Others

As part of his efforts to fight oil theft, the governorship candidate of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) for the 2023 election in Rivers State, Leyii Kwane, has charged traditional rulers and local government chairmen to monitor the transactions of illegal oil deals in their localities.

Naija News reports that Kwane made the call at a news briefing in Port Harcourt while unveiling his running mate in next year’s elections.

According to him, oil theft and illegal refineries are thriving in oil-bearing communities because the immediate custodians of the law in the areas had abandoned their domains for the cities.

The immediate past deputy speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, therefore charged monarchs, council chairmen and their counsellors to enforce vigilance over oil facilities in their areas to forestall illegal oil bunkering and crude theft.

The ZLP governorship candidate noted that if he won the election as governor next year, his government would think beyond oil, by diverting attention to other areas that can produce revenues for the running of the state.

He said, “We will think outside the box. We will think beyond oil. But one thing is clear, our traditional rulers, our council chairmen and the counsellors have abandoned their domains and are now living in all the big hotels in the cities.

Who will help to look over those oil facilities? Do we need to rely solely on security agencies? We need the locals who are privileged to have these facilities located in their communities.”

While unveiling his running mate for the governorship race, Brassba Jack, Kwanee said the recent Executive Order 21 signed by the state governor, Nyesom Wike, which restricts unapproved political rallies in the state was aimed at monopolising political power.

He said the restrictions might deprive political parties of the opportunity to present good candidates to the electorates.

Kwanee advanced that the 2023 election in the state was a very important occasion that would provide the opportunity to elect leaders with the capacity to proffer solutions to the myriad of identified problems confronting the state despite its abundant human and material resources.

He noted that Zenith Labour Party will not be distracted by the restriction occasioned by Executive Order 21 and that the opposition appeared badly threatened by very recent restrictions and regulations issued by the state government regarding political gatherings on private and public facilities.

“We cannot be discouraged on this rescue mission. Nevertheless, let us place it on record that the issue of Executive Order 21 by the outgoing Nyesom Wike administration and similar hardline postures in the past is inimical to the growth of business and employment opportunities in our dear state.

As a party, we view Executive Order 21 as a quest to monopolise political power through monopolising political activities and space in the state,” he added. 

He however said the party was committed to obeying legitimate laws of the land as “we cannot trade the security of the lives and property of people living and doing business in the state for anything.”

He urged the citizens to do some self-examination as the state joins the rest of the country on yet another democratic transition of power, answer how well the state is fearing and look at what has failed in the state too.

Then they can know how to march forward from the ashes of failure to build the present and future of their dreams, adding that the party shall partner with the citizens to drive their vision, dreams and mission.

“I have found a candidate for the office of deputy governor of Rivers State, in the person of my dear sister and co-worker in the vineyard, to deliver a Rivers State where the core values of human dignity, equality of persons and equal opportunities are a priority,” he added.