Lokpobiri Credits Wike For Securing Petroleum Ministry Position

Lokpobiri Credits Wike For Securing Petroleum Ministry Position

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri, revealed on Saturday that his appointment was facilitated by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike. Lokpobiri made this statement during an event organized by the Ijaw Peoples Congress (IPC) in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, to honor Wike…….CONTINUE READING 

Lokpobiri stated, “I stand before you today as the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, thanks to Nyesom Wike.” He further explained that Wike’s involvement was crucial, noting that the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) also credited Wike with playing a direct role in his own appointment.

Lokpobiri described how the process of his ministerial appointment unfolded, beginning at Wike’s residence in Port Harcourt and concluding at his home in Abuja. “My second journey to becoming a minister started in Wike’s house in Port Harcourt and was finalized in his house in Abuja. It’s important to acknowledge this history.”

Expressing gratitude, Lokpobiri commented on the program’s welcome address, saying his name was absent from the list of beneficiaries of Wike’s support. “I expected my name, Heineken Lokpobiri, to be mentioned among those helped by Wike, but since it wasn’t, I am here to complete that history. I want the Ijaw people to know we have a brother and a friend in him.”

Lokpobiri emphasized the value of good friendships, praising Wike’s loyalty and support for the Ijaw community. “It is better to have a good friend than a bad brother. A bad brother is of no use, but a good friend, like Wike, is a blessing. On behalf of the Ijaw people worldwide, I express our deep gratitude for your support.”

Lokpobiri, from Bayelsa State, previously served as the Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development from 2015 to 2019 under President Muhammadu Buhari. In August 2023, President Bola Tinubu appointed him as the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, around the same time Wike was named FCT Minister.