Izzi Yakiah To Lokpobiri: Focus On Bayelsa Projects, Not Political Ambitions

APC Chieftain Izzi Yakiah has called on the current Minister of State for Petroleum to prioritise the completion of ongoing projects in Bayelsa, emphasising that the minister should avoid “pursuing political issues for his own selfish agenda.”

The APC Chieftain, in an interview with ARISE NEWS on Wednesday, urged the current Minister for State Petroleum to prioritise the completion of ongoing projects rather than engage in political manoeuvring, suggesting that the minister’s focus on his political ambitions for the 2027 governorship election is misguided, saying, “The minister deliberately abandoned those critical issues and is pursuing political issues for his own selfish agenda.”

Yakiah also voiced concerns about political appointments in the state. He claimed that the current commissioner for power Engr. Komuko Akari Kharin was inadequately qualified and had been appointed as a personal reward for his prior assistance to the current petroleum minister.

He criticised this, questioning, “The commissioner who is saying that you’re a PDP person now, serving in PDP government, what are you coming to do in an APC meeting?” He urged the governor to take note of such activities and address them appropriately.

In the same interview, Marlin Daniel, the Pioneer Secretary of APC Bayelsa State, emphasised that the Bayelsa APC issues at hand extend beyond mere party politics. He remarked, “This issue is not about party politics. The issue is bordered on corruption fighting back.

“There is no anti-party activity anywhere.”

The Pioneer Secretary criticised the previous Minister of State for Petroleum, Timipre Sylva, saying he had chaired a local content board that initially agreed to construct a modular refinery in the Okpoma Brass Local Government Area which the budget ballooned from $5 million to $35 million, with little progress made so far.

“When the present minister came on board, he saw these things, and he questioned it. They cornered him in order to bring him into the arrangement. He said no.”

Daniel further expressed optimism about the project’s potential to generate employment for thousands of Bayelsans, insisting that it remains a critical opportunity.

In response to the Pioneer Secretary, Yakiah noted Daniel’s ties to former Petroleum Minister Sylva, noting, “I know that Marlin, in 2007 to 2008, was working closely with Sylva as a Bayelsa Volunteer Coordinator. Sylva made him the pioneer secretary of APC.

“But, today, you see how people are coming on national television to bite the fingers that have fed them.”

Yakiah went on to highlight the achievements of Sylva, including the establishment of the Atlantic Refinery, stating, “Sylva also fought for the approval and establishment of the Atlantic refinery brass.”

The ordeal reflects a critical juncture for the APC in Bayelsa as it navigates internal conflicts and the broader implications of governance in the region.

The Bayelsa State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) earlier lifted the suspension of the Minister of State for Petroleum, Heineken Lokpobiri, and other key party figures, previously sanctioned for alleged anti-party activities. This decision followed an extended meeting that brought together state executives, sitting Assembly members, and local government chairmen to address ongoing tensions stemming from the suspensions affecting critical stakeholders in Southern Ijaw, Ekeremor, Sagbama, and Yenagoa.

Frances Ibiefo