The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Heineken Lokpobiri, has attributed his appointment to President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet to his counterpart in the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
At a celebration in honor of Wike held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, by the Ijaw Peoples Congress, Lokpobiri said as much. He added that he started at Wike’s house in Port Harcourt and ended at his house in Abuja on his way to becoming a minister under Tinubu’s leadership. Eyes Of Lagos reports,
Eyes Of Lagos reports that Lokpobiri, who is from Bayelsa, previously served as the Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development from 2015 to 2019.
“It is important to tell you, my brothers and sisters, that Nyesom Wike also made it possible for me to stand before you today as the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources,” he declared. You also heard the MD of the NDDC’s perspective, who stated that his nomination was directly influenced by the minister of the FCT.
“I could have had a more direct role in my own situation. Some of you might not be aware. Everything took place in Wike’s home in Port Harcourt and ended there in Abuja. The minister’s home in Port Harcourt served as the starting point of my second journey to become a minister, and it ended there in Abuja. It is imperative that I complete this history.
“Because our names were not listed among those who had benefited from his kindness when I was reading the welcome message. I had assumed that my name, Heineken Lokpobiri, would have been listed with the people he has assisted. But I have to finish it because my name is missing. Ijaw people, I want you to know that we have a friend and a brother.
“Having a good friend is always preferable to having a bad brother. What good is a nasty brother? It serves no purpose. However, you are already fortunate if you have a close buddy like the FCT minister.
“Your Excellency, the FCT minister, let me on behalf of the Ijaw people all over the world, express our gratitude to you for your show of love to Ijaw people. We Ijaw people are very grateful people. If you do us good, we will not pay you back with evil. So, we will always be grateful to you for what you have done for our Ijaw people. We are looking forward to you doing more for our Ijaw people.”
