By Esther Poweide
President Muhammadu Buhari has been commended for appointing a former Governor of Bayelsa State, Timipere Sylva, as the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources.
Chief Dennis Otuaro, who is regarded as a strong voice in the Niger Delta and goes with the traditional title, Ibe-Uyadonwei of Gbaramatu Kingdom, disclosed in Warri that the ministerial appointments of the President, should move the country to greater height.
Otuaro said that the Buhari-led administration has shown its sincerity with the appointment of Sylva, adding that this would rejuvenate the petroleum sector, describing it as a blast of fresh air for the petroleum ministry.
He expressed confidence that Sylva would hit the ground running, adding that it was well familiar with the former Bayelsa State number one citizen, having once served as Senior Special Assistant to Edmund Daukoru, who was the Minister of State for Energy and Petroleum Resources, between July 2005 and May 2007.
According to Otuaro, “It will be recalled that Chief Sylva was instrumental in formulating and initiating policies that finally birthed the Federal Government’s Amnesty Programme for militants in the oil-rich Niger Delta region which, to a large extent has restored peace in the once volatile region.
“Against the backdrop of the petroleum ministry’s importance in the drive to achieve economic stability, Sylva’s appointment is a step in the right direction for the petroleum industry, as only round pegs in round holes would ensure the kind of results the economy of the country demands.
“The achievements of Timipere Sylva speak volumes of his administrative sagacity, even though the task before him in assisting the president revamp and re-position the country’s major income earner is an enormous one.
“It is an honor well deserved for Chief Timipere Sylva, who is well versed with the labyrinths of the political waters of the petroleum sector and its strategic relevance to growth and development of the country’s economy.”
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