Sack Lukman, Barkindo now - Senate orders Yar’Adua
Taiwo Adisa, Abuja
Friday, July 31, 2009
SENATORS on Thursday concluded on a decision to pass a motion to ensure the removal of the Minister of Petroleum, Dr. Rilwan Lukman, and the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mr. Mohammed Barkindo.





http://odili.net/news/source/2009/jul/31/607.html

The Senators reached the conclusion at a closed session on Thursday where they discussed the demand by senators from the South-South caucus that the Petroleum Minister be sacked.

But it was learnt on Thursday that the senators further resolved that apart from Lukman, the NNPC GMD must also be relieved of his appointment because of what the senators tagged deliberate acts of sabotage against the Federal Government.

A source at the closed session told the Nigerian Tribune that the senators came to the conclusion that all decisions taken by Lukman and Barkindo since they assumed office appeared to have been deliberately aimed at putting the government in bad light.

“Some of the decisions they have taken so far are anti-government, they are deliberately aimed at ridiculing the government. For instance, why did they bring up the decision to announce the setting up of Petroleum Institute in Kaduna at this time when we are just trying to come out of a situation in the Niger Delta, when the region is complaining of marginalisation?” a source said of the outcome of the closed session.

Senators from the South-South region had on Wednesday addressed a press conference seeking the removal of Dr. Lukman for alleged anti-Niger Delta policies.

But the Senate Majority Leader, Senator Mahmud Kanti Bello, raised a point of order on Thursday, insisting that his privilege had been breached by the press conference addressed by the South-South.

He said that the South South lawmakers were a part of the Senate which screened Lukman and that the lawmakers were also part of the Senate which passed the Petroleum Industry Bill through a second reading.

According to the senator, it was wrong for the lawmakers to now turn around and demand the removal of Lukman and the withdrawal of the Petroleum Industry Bill.

Leader of the South-South caucus in the Senate, Senator Bassey Ewa-Henshaw, said that the South South senators only exercised their right to freedom of speech, adding that they did not breach the privilege of anyone.

Senate President, David Mark, while trying to avoid further altercation on the floor, ruled that since the matter affected all senators, the Senate had to dissolve into a closed session to discuss the matter.

Sources at the closed session told the Nigerian Tribune that the entire Senate had resolved to accomplish the constitutional procedure for the removal of Lukman when they resumed from their current recess, which starts today.

It was gathered that the Northern Senators Forum(NSF), which spearheaded the clearance of Lukman as a minister, also agreed with senators from the South South that the minister should be removed.

Another source said of the decision of the closed session: “We have resolved that Lukman and Barkindo must go. We will pass the necessary motions seeking their removal when we return from the recess.”

It was gathered that the Northern senators felt betrayed by Lukman for failing to redeem the promises he made to the caucus when his confirmation was opposed by the South-South last year.

A source said that when the issue of confirmation of the minister came to the Senate, senators from the South rejected him and insisted that he had nothing to contribute to the government, having been over-recycled. But the Northern senators pleaded with their colleagues after meeting with Lukman to extract some concessions.

One of the requests tabled before the minister and which was agreed to, according to the source, included the need to pacify the entire country through effective running of the oil industry.

The senators were said to have asked Lukman to begin an employment scheme for youths across the country within one month of getting to office.

He was also requested to ensure the retirement of all old hands in the NNPC and replace them with new hands so as to give the government some semblance of performance.

But the sources said that Rilwan Lukman reneged on all the agreements after assuming office and started painting the government as if it was bent on treating the Niger Delta people as non Nigerians.

“We have resolved that the executive of the Northern Senators Forum should do nothing to save the minister and the NNPC GMD, because the decision has been concluded,” the sources said.

Whille raising the initial objection to the press conference by the South-South senators, Senate Chief whip, Senator Kanti Bello, had said: “My privilege has been breached. What the South-South senators had said and I want to refer you to Sections 16 (1) (a) and (b), and 16 (2) (a) and (b) 16 (3) (a) and (b) 16 (4) (a) and (b). My reason is simple and that is that the bill should be withdrawn.

“It is my honest view that this Petroleum Bill that the South-South wants withdrawn after Second Reading, after going to public hearing which they have every opportunity to put in their views which they don’t want to do, they are coming in as a group to insist for the withdrawal is really a breach of my privilege and that of the Nigerian nation and every patriotic Nigerian citizen.

“Again, if you refer to Section 147, the president has the right to nominate a minister and that minister has been nominated, he has been screened by the Senate, and for South-South Senators to sit down and say that he should be removed arbitrarily is really a breach of my privilege.

“With this now sir, I reckon that one thing that this Senate should resolve is that the Senate of the Federal Republic isn’t ethnic in nature and that we are patriotic Nigerian people and that we insist that there is no way Lukman should be removed simply because southern people say so, I so move.”

Incompetence begets incompetence. Yar;adull is an incompetent president so are his appointees. The head is the one to be sacked firt.

Whille raising the initial objection to the press conference by the South-South senators, Senate Chief whip, Senator Kanti Bello, had said: “My privilege has been breached. What the South-South senators had said and I want to refer you to Sections 16 (1) (a) and (b), and 16 (2) (a) and (b) 16 (3) (a) and (b) 16 (4) (a) and (b). My reason is simple and that is that the bill should be withdrawn.

“It is my honest view that this Petroleum Bill that the South-South wants withdrawn after Second Reading, after going to public hearing which they have every opportunity to put in their views which they don’t want to do, they are coming in as a group to insist for the withdrawal is really a breach of my privilege and that of the Nigerian nation and every patriotic Nigerian citizen.

“Again, if you refer to Section 147, the president has the right to nominate a minister and that minister has been nominated, he has been screened by the Senate, and for South-South Senators to sit down and say that he should be removed arbitrarily is really a breach of my privilege.

“With this now sir, I reckon that one thing that this Senate should resolve is that the Senate of the Federal Republic isn’t ethnic in nature and that we are patriotic Nigerian people and that we insist that there is no way Lukman should be removed simply because southern people say so, I so move.”

Isn't senator kanti Bello correct?

Crude Oil:

Incompetence begets incompetence. Yar;adull is an incompetent president so are his appointees. The head is the one to be sacked firt.

If you sack him, who will you replace him with?

A brain covered in Crude Oil is not something to be proud of

imagine three abokis heading Nigeria oil sector

how do you expect this country to move forward?

PollMaster:

A brain covered in Crude Oil is not something to be proud of

You mean crude oil MONEY (oil money brain-if any)

It was gathered that the Northern Senators Forum(NSF), which spearheaded the clearance of Lukman as a minister, also agreed with senators from the South South that the minister should be removed.

This where the south has a problem. We have 6 geo political zone. with the south having 3 and the north having 3, the south operate independently, south south, south east and south west.

Did you guy notice that the North always operate as if they are only 1 geo political zone,as in Northern Region.

That is exactly why the North is able to dominate the South in Everything including Oil that they don't produce.

Finance Minister - North
National Planning- North
CBN Governor- North
Petroleum- North
FCT- North

They then gave Minister of states in all those ministries to the South to make it look as if they are doing something. Until the South have a way of working together, it will be THINGS FALL APART , THE CENTRE CANNOT HOLD. and the North will continue to make us second class.

PollMaster:

A brain covered in Crude Oil is not something to be proud of

Lukmon has being in the Oil sector since i cant even remember now, so his brain will have been dulled with crude by now.

It was gathered that the Northern Senators Forum(NSF), which spearheaded the clearance of Lukman as a minister, also agreed with senators from the South South that the minister should be removed.

This where the south has a problem. We have 6 geo political zone. with the south having 3 and the north having 3, the south operate independently, south south, south east and south west.

Did you guy notice that the North always operate as if they are only 1 geo political zone,as in Northern Region.

That is exactly why the North is able to dominate the South in Everything including Oil that they don't produce.

Finance Minister - North
National Planning- North
CBN Governor- North
Petroleum- North
FCT- North

They then gave Minister of states in all those ministries to the South to make it look as if they are doing something. Until the South have a way of working together, it will be THINGS FALL APART , THE CENTRE CANNOT HOLD. and the North will continue to make us second class.

well spoken. The northerns are more unified, they stick together as one when it comes to national issues, but we in the south

danacreate:

Finance Minister - North
National Planning- North
CBN Governor- North
Petroleum- North
FCT- North

They then gave Minister of states in all those ministries to the South to make it look as if they are doing something. Until the South have a way of working together, it will be THINGS FALL APART , THE CENTRE CANNOT HOLD. and the North will continue to make us second class.

well spoken. The northerns are more unified, they stick together as one when it comes to national issues, but we in the south

You get to understand what makes them more powerful, they are using their unifying measure to over shadow the Nigerian People

Yes, the senator is 100 percent correct. he ministerial appointment was approved by the senate including the s-south senators, who had the opportunity to express their grudges against him before he was approved.

vigasimple:

It was gathered that the Northern Senators Forum(NSF), which spearheaded the clearance of Lukman as a minister, also agreed with senators from the South South that the minister should be removed.

This where the south has a problem. We have 6 geo political zone. with the south having 3 and the north having 3, the south operate independently, south south, south east and south west.

Did you guy notice that the North always operate as if they are only 1 geo political zone,as in  Northern Region.

That is exactly why the North is able to dominate the South in Everything including Oil that they don't produce.

Finance Minister - North
National Planning- North
CBN Governor- North
Petroleum- North
FCT- North

They then gave Minister of states  in all those ministries to the South to make it look as if they are doing something.  Until the South have a way of working together, it will be THINGS FALL APART , THE CENTRE CANNOT HOLD. and the North will continue to make us second class.

Honestly, I couldn't agree more. Northeners cooperate while southerners just want to be isolated with their south-south, south-west, south-east rubbish. Is it that there are more ethnic groups in the south than the north? Anybody?. . .

Aloy_Emeka:

If you sack him, who will you replace him with?

Haba Aloy, people dey wey go replace him now! Even if it means trying out fresh younger minds.

I think Dr. Emmanuel Egbogah will make a fine Petroleum Minister

Better by far to change the SYSTEM that allows incompetent people to rule. Next thing madmen will be running nigeria and we'll all be talking about how bad what they do is on NL.

Incompetence is a vocabulary that does not exist in Nigeria public office until a public officer is out of favour with the power brokers. Lukman will safely complete is ministerial tenure with Yaro and then await another another recycle.
Quote me.

lukman complete his term? well, we'll see about that!

if u want accurate stories u shld go to the website here. they have stories oh the stories they spin
www.bangbros.com/t1

The minister displayed gross insensitivity and in any good country he should resign himself but knowing nigeria, he'll sit tight till they yank his butt off the seat.

pffffst!

Till they sack or remove him,no comments.

na today we hear all this

I don't care if they replace Lukman with someone from the North, East or South. Or someone even from Jamaica. The man is out of touch with what is happening in the Nigerian Petroleum Industry today, in relation with the rest of the world.

I saw him say when he was appointed that he will ensure that Nigeria exports more crude oil than it has done before in order to meet vision 20 20 20 goals. Oya, he should go and pump 3 million barrels from the oil well.

The only way Nigeria can retain any decent revenue from Petroleum is by ending the export of crude oil and start processing and exporting only refined petroleum products.

As a matter of fact, right now, I believe anybody that is older than Nigerian should not be working for the country. They will always look at Nigeria as a small child whose candy should be taken away. Everybody born before 1960 should not be allowed to work in government. They should retire and go start their own businesses. Wetin sef?!

Lukman- that dinosaur from the military era is used to churning out policies for his masters to shove down the throat of southerners. He still lives in the past. In the military era, non of these scandalous malfeasance in the news (PIB,Petroleum uni in Kaduna, delisting of cross river as an OMPS) would have raised any eyebrow.

The northern establishment has hijacked this govt from an ineffective and ineffectual leadership. It is up to southern senators to stand up, speak and hold their ground or continue to enjoy oil money in Abuja while the rape of their land continues.

As far as I am concerned, Lukman is Petroleum minister for North Nigeria.

lukman is not going anywhere. southerner are empty noise maker

well, so you think.

[s]The senators were said to have asked Lukman to begin an employment scheme for youths across the country within one month of getting to office.

He was also requested to ensure the retirement of all old hands in the NNPC and replace them with new hands so as to give the government some semblance of performance.[/color]
[/s]

[color=#990000]You can imagine,HOW OLD IS LUKMON HIMSELF? OLD MAN WEY WAN SACK OLD PEOPLE(Kettle wey dey call POT black), Confused People in a Confused State,

Make Thuder FIRE THEM ALLL, WE NEED BOMB CARRIER IN THIS COUNTRY MAKE THEM JUST ENTER SOME PLACESSS, THEM BODY GO GO DOWN,

I REST MY CASE,

Can someone please remind me how long this lookman of a fellow has been in and out of the petroleum circle in Nigeria?does it mean if he drops dead today,there'll be nobody to replace him in a country of over 150 million people

lukman was the former head of opec, who else is going to replace him? I am beginning to doubt if this move is good for the nation or just for the self interest of some tribalistic myopic senators.

Lukman wont be sacked (its unlike Nigerian govt to sack),
he will be redeployed,das dia tactics.

I think Dr. Emmanuel Egbogah will make a fine Petroleum Minister

The sycophants are around the corner again.They are the cause of all the problems facing this failed nations.

Only one senator opposed Lukmans nomination last year, where were the rest?

Secondly we've had southerners as head of NNPC, what exactly was the difference in terms of transparency?