On-Shore/Off-Shore Oil Dichotomy: Don’t be misled by A-Ibom PDP insinuations – Chief Don Etiebet
Former Petroleum Minister, Chief Don Etiebet has dismissed claims by the Akwa Ibom People’s Democratic Party Elders that, the federal government is contemplating the re-introduction of the On-Shore/Off-Shore Oil Dichotomy in the country.
He said, the problem of On-Shore/Off-Shore Oil Dichotomy in the country has long been settled that, the litoral states where off-shore production occurs within 240 nautical miles belongs to the litoral states.
He was speaking in an interview with newsmen in Uyo, saying, there is no cause for alarm as the All Progressives Congress – led federal government means well for Nigerians.
Chief Etiebet, who is also the State Caucus Chairman of APC said that, Governor Nasir El-Rufai led Committee on restructuring report did not mean oil production within 240 nautical miles that belongs to the litoral states.
According to him, ‘‘the problem of On-Shore Off-Shore Oil Dichotomy has been settled and it is settled that, the litoral states where offshore production occurs within 240 nautical miles belongs to the litoral states.
‘‘I believe what the committee meant may be oil discovered or produced outside 240 isobar boundary not within.
And if you look at the committee’s report, they didn’t mention anything about the area within the 240 isobar. So, let nobody be deceived or confused that, the report meant production within the 240 isobars that has been settled. You can quote me on that very seriously’’.
He however maintained that, if anything is done to the contrary, the state would oppose it vehemently.
Etiebet, who also condemned President Buhari’s critics that the administration has not made any meaningful progress said, past administrations in the country failed Nigerians by not providing good leadership, leaving the rot for the APC government to contend with.
He said because of bad governance, the country has been besseted with lawlessness, impunity, indiscipline and corruption adding that, ‘‘the only time we had good leadership was in 1983/84, when this same Buhari had a coup and brought about some level of sanity and lawfulness.
‘‘In fact since independence I left this country before the civil war and came back in 1978, I have been involved in a lot of politics. I have never seen an administration or President that has done as much as Buhari has done to reposition this country to be a country or nation of productivity. A nation that can stand on its own to attain economic worth as other countries’’, he stated.
