UYO — SPEAKER of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Aminu Bello Masari has joined the call for Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited to relocate its corporate head office to Akwa Ibom State, arguing that the relocation was necessary since the bulk of the company’s businesses are done in the state.
Alhaji Masari who has just concluded a 2-day tour of the state during which he met with legislators from Akwa Ibom and a cross-section of the people said it was expedient for Mobil to involve more natives of the state in its operation by moving its head office to the state.
“Shell has now moved to Port Harcourt and Elf has moved to Warri. It will be very good if Mobil moves to Akwa Ibom where most of its business are located”, Masari said.
The Speaker who was in Uyo in company of other members of the House of Representatives in continuation of their meet-the-people tour of states expressed dismay over the delay in the payment of pensions to retired workers noting that the ongoing pension reforms will solve that once and for all.
Masari said it was not true that members of the House of Representatives were provided with funds for the execution of constituency projects pointing out that the members only identify projects needed by their constituencies while the executive arm executes the projects.
The Speaker assured the people of Akwa Ibom State that the House of Representatives will continue to stand by them until the Federal Government pays the 13 per cent derivation funds in full to oil bearing states in the Niger Delta.
He urged the South-South states not to see the delay in the payment of the 13 per cent derivation as deliberate as government was now working out modalities for the settlement of the derivation funds.
Masari called on Niger Delta states to remain calm despite attempts by some states to re-introduce oil dichotomy assuring them that steps were being taken to douse tension on the matter.
The Speaker said the issue of local government creation was not the sole responsibility of the Federal Government or the National Assembly but called on state House of Assembly to make inputs on the issue.
He explained that the Federal Government mandated state electoral commissioners to conduct the last local government elections saying the measure was part of steps to make the states exercise their powers in the federation arrangement.
During the meet-the-people session, the people raised questions on oil spills, constitution review, strike actions and local government creation.
