APPOINT SUBSTANTIVE PETROLEUM MINISTER, CHANGE SERVICE CHIEFS — BISHOP OKOROAFOR APPEALS TO PRESIDENT BUHARI

Reporter : CHIKA EWURUM

The Anglican Bishop of Egbu Diocese, the Right Reverend Geoffrey Okorafor, wants President Muhammadu Buhari to appoint a substantive Minister of Petroleum.

This, the Bishop says, is to save the nation’s oil industry from collapse.

The Bishop made the call during his Presidential address at the first session of the 9th Synod held at the Anglican Church of Pentecost, New Owerri, IMO State.

“We call on Mr. President, to urgently appoint a Minister of Petroleum. If he is the Minister of Petroleum, he should boldly and openly inform Nigerians.

“He has no reason to withhold the office of Petroleum Minister, as the past years of placing the office on hold, have not yielded any fruitful dividend,” Bishop Okorafor said.

The Right Reverend Okorafor also lamented the incessant increase in the price of petroleum products and frowned at the irregular availability of kerosene, which he described as a household need yet remained the most expensive of all petroleum products.

The man of God, who noted that an immediate review of the system of operation could not be overstressed, also enjoined the President to heed the call by many eminent Nigerians across the country to consider the need for restructuring of the system, the same way he addressed the issue of SARS in the country.

“The President is about completing the second year of his second tenure, but has flatly refused to heed the calls by many prominent Nigerians, to consider the need for restructuring of the Nigerian system.

“Sometimes one is tempted to ask if ours is indeed a civilian democracy or a military dictatorship.” Okorafor queried.

The Right Reverend Okorafor further appealed to President Buhari to overhaul the security architecture of the country, as according to him, “the Service Chiefs are now at their wits end, and need to be replaced,” the Bishop added.

Meanwhile, the Right Reverend Okoroafor appealed to the Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma, to apply a down to earth approach in the payment of workers’ salaries and pensioners’ allowances.

Bishop Okorafor reminded the Governor of the need to address the deplorable condition of roads in the state and ensure that the contractors did a standard job as the rain had subsided.

“We appeal that the solidity of any road project should be granted. Any completed road project should stand the test of time. What is worth doing is worth doing well,” he noted.