Niger Delta celebrates Kachukwu at 60

Dr Ibe Kachikwu

Niger Delta Non Violence Youths Leaders Assembly has showered encomium on the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr Ibe Kachikwu, describing him as a blessing and asset not only to the Niger Delta, but Nigeria in general.
Speaking at a colloquium organized to mark the minister’s 60th birthday anniversary, the Niger Delta Youth leaders pointed out that Kachikwu’s leadership disposition is a pointer to the fact that there are still upright, hardworking, humble and detribalized people from the oil rich region.
The youths, who noted that Kachikwu has won the goodwill and admiration of his people, listed some of the landmark achievements of the minister to include the institution of sound reforms that have repositioned the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
In their words: “Kachikwu as a GMD initiated a lot of reforms that not only repositioned the NNPC, but also transformed the entire oil industry for global participation.”
The lives of the staff of NNPC was positively affected as he cleared almost all the backlog of arrears the previous administrations owed them. Kachikwu enjoys cordial working relationship with current GMD, Dr. Maikanti Kacalla Baru, “they said
The youth leaders also praised the oil minister for taken steps to address the crisis of trust between the Federal government and the people of the Niger Delta region, stressing: “It is obvious that one of the issues that triggered the resurgence of militancy in the Niger Delta region is misrepresentation and misconception of the President Muhammadu Buhari’s government, giving the fact that their son Fmr President Jonathan lost the 2015 polls.
“Kachikwu who is just a Minister of State waded into the matter and gradually aligned the agitated groups in the region to the vision of President Buhari, making the people understand the sincere desire of the Buhari towards developing the region,” they said.
Speaking further, the group maintained that Kachikwu undertook onerous task of bridging the gap between the people of the region and President Buhari administration even to the detriment of his job,stressing that he was maligned, mocked and rebuked.
They equally argued that Kachikwu did not relent in the face of humiliation as he traversed the nooks and crannies of the Niger Delta creeks in seach of sustainable peace for the Buhari administration to succeed.
Describing the Minister as Kachikwu as the Odogwu of Onisha-igbu Kingdom and the Odogwu of Niger Delta,The Delta State Chairman of the association, Comrade George Okitikpi, recounted the feat  Kachikwu recorded in areas to end the obnoxious fuel subsidy regime, ensuring that Nigeria maintain her production quota in the International Oil market as well as working tirelessly to restore peace in the troubled region in addition to building confidence.
Though Kachikwu was not physically present at the colloquium,The Niger Delta youth leaders passed a vote of confidence on him insisting that he has made the region proud.

Source: The Sun