By William Emmanuel Ukpoju
In a strongly-worded statement, former Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Monitoring and Development Board (NCDMB), Simbi Wabote, has dismissed allegations made by Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri, as “reckless and bundles of lies”.
Sen. Lokpobiri had alleged that the investments made by NCDMB during Wabote’s seven-year tenure were wasteful, including over $500 million in equity investments in private establishments and non-performing loans.
Wabote however described Lokpobiri’s statements as “false narratives” and “character assassination”, and provided detailed information to refute the allegations. He also accused Lokpobiri of trying to “demonise” him and NCDMB to advance his political ambitions.
According to Wabote, “My problem as ES started with Lokpobiri in December 2023 when he sent one of his undocumented aides within his Ministry to my office in Yenagoa (Blackson) requesting me to increase the NCDMB budget by N30 billion for the office of the Minister and I said it had never been done before. I served two Ministers and none of them have ever made such a request to NCDMB; that we only make provision for the office of the chairman of the council, which covers his travel expenses.”
Wabote also stated that he had led the management of NCDMB to provide a full briefing of the Board’s activities to Lokpobiri and the Hon Minister of State for Petroleum – Gas (HMSPR-Gas) Hon Ekperikpe Ekpo in August 2023. The presentation, which was over 250-page slides, provided information on the status of the Board’s projects, partnerships, intervention funds, TSA account balances, HCD programs, Forensic Audits, and other strategic initiatives under the NCDMB 10-year Strategic Roadmap.
He further stated that Lokpobiri had visited some of the Board’s project sites, including the Nigerian Content Tower, NCDMB Fire Station, 204-room NCDMB Conference Hotel under construction, NCDMB Creche, NCDMB NOGAPS Industrial Park, Emeyal-1, near Otueke, Bayelsa State, Waltersmith Refinery, Ibigwe, Imo State, and NCDMB Interventions within the PTDF Skills Centre in Omagwa, PHC.
Wabote accused Lokpobiri of presenting “false narratives” and “character assassination” before the Petroleum Club in his foray into “treachery and ‘waste’ agenda”. He also stated that Lokpobiri’s allegations that 90% of the NC Intervention Fund managed by BOI is not performing is false, and that the fund has yielded millions from the low-interest rates with the principal fully secured with BG.
He also refuted Lokpobiri’s claims that the partnership arrangement with NNPC and DSV Engineering is for the establishment of a ‘fertiliser factory’, stating that the partnership is for the establishment of a 10,000 TPD Methanol plant.
Mr Wabote recommended that Sen. Lokpobiri should channel his energy into commissioning NCDMB’s partnership projects, including the Nedo Gas Processing Plant, Better Gas 500MT LPG Storage and distribution infrastructure, Bunnor Base Oil Production, Butane LPG Plant Kaduna, and Duport Modular Refinery, Egbokor.
He concluded by stating that the Minister should learn to separate the requirements of the office he currently occupies from his political ambition and that he should look for another individual and agency of government to demonise in his quest to remain relevant.