HM King (Dr) Charles Ayemi-Botu (JP) OFR, a.k.a. Lion of the Niger, is the Paramount Ruler of Seimbiri KIngdom in Burutu Local Government Arae of Delta state. In the interview, Ayemi-Botu, who is the CHM BoT and Life Patron of Traditional Rulers of Oil and Gas Producing Communities of Nigeria, TROMPCOM, speaks on issues affecting the progress and development of the nation, Niger Delta region among other issues. Excerpts:
How do you see the state of the nation?
Well, it is only divine intervention that can savage Nigeria from the myriad challenges before her. I want to state that doing the right thing on the part of the nation’s leadership can also help remedy the situation.
President Bola Tinubu had just appointed ministers into his cabinets and, as usual, the Ministry of Petroleum Resources has not been assigned to any minister. What’s your opinion on why successive Presidents from 1999, except Goodluck Jonanthan, apportioning that office to themselves?
This should be bone of contention to every patriotic Nigerian. It is a fact that former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Muhammadu Buhari and now Bola Ahmed Tinubu have failed to appoint a petroleum minister. Suffice to say that the sole objective of most of the presidential aspirants is to grab Nigerian’s oil wealth on assumption of office in Aso Rock Villa.
The Niger Delta people have been calling on the Federal Government to let them protect their resources as oil theft is affecting the nation. What is your take on it?
No sane Niger Deltan will be calling on the Federal Government to let them protect their resources sequel to the passage of the Petroleum Industry Act, PIA.
What do you think is the way to increase oil production in the country?
In the petroleum Industry of Act (PIA) 2021, there is provision for Host Communities Development and Trust Fund and the beneficiaries (HOSCOM) are obliged to protect the oil facilities within their various kingdoms in other to benefit from the kingdoms in order to benefit from the three percent (3%) of the annual budgets of the multi-national oil companies set aside for the development of host communities. Now, the pipelines crisscrossing the Niger Delta region and the other geopolitical zones have been under the protection of security agencies which are mandated to secure the safe delivery of petroleum products for domestic consumption and export.
