Opinion
BAYELSA’S REFINERY REVOLUTION: AZIKEL GROUP PIONEERS LOCAL CONTENT
BAYELSA’S REFINERY REVOLUTION: AZIKEL GROUP PIONEERS LOCAL CONTENT 
By Tobouke JEMINE
When the news item floated across my online stream that the Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, paid a visit to the Azikel Refinery facilities,currently under construction in Obunagha community, Yenagoa Local Government Area, I put aside all distractions and channelled all my optical features on the significance of this $500million investment.
The Governor expressed excitement that the project justifies the calls for establishment of oil and gas companies in the Niger Delta region and Bayelsa State. He was particularly thrilled that the refinery is being built by a Bayelsan, Dr. Azibapu Godbless Eruani. He described the project as a “right investment” that will boost the state’s economy, build new skills, and generate employment opportunities for youths, which indeed is true.
According to the reports, the Azikel Refinery, equipped with modular hydro-skimming technology, is designed to process Bonny Sweet light crude and Gbarain condensate into high-quality petroleum products. There is no doubt that, Azikel Refinery, set to launch in Q4 2025, is poised to bring significant benefits to the Glory of All Lands.
The benefits of these kinds of ventures are enormous, as they will stimulate economic growth, improve living standards; provide employment opportunities for locals, both directly and indirectly; promote local content development, support indigenous entrepreneurs; help to reduce illegal bunkering and oil theft, improve security in the region, and attract foreign investors to our region.
For these reasons, Bayelsa state needs to give the Azikel Group all the support its needs for the refinery to take off. The smooth sailing of the Azikel Refinery will definitely motivate other indigenous business interests to get involved, and Bayelsa State would not be worse for it. The successful running of the Azikel Refinery will market Bayelsa State as an investment-friendly environment thereby attracting foreign investors to the state.
To Ijaws across the oil hub of Africa, I say, it’s time to indigenize our investments and business aspirations. Invest in refineries, modular refineries, tourism, hospitality, aquatic sports, to drive economic growth, create jobs, and promote local content development. With the right investments and government infrastructural participation, Ijaw Nation can be transformed into the Dubai of Africa.
Let us emulate the industrial patriotism of Dr. Eruani Azibapu Godbless, the visionary Founder of Azikel Group, by investing in our communities and attracting developmental projects to our land.We do not need to be told that the blessed entrepreneurial ventures of Dr. Godbless are sponsored by a focus on sustainable development and economic empowerment for his motherland.
Dr. Godbless who hails from Epebu, in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, is a proud son of the Ijaw Nation.
His business empire, the Azikel Group, encompasses diverse sectors such as dredging, petroleum refining, power generation, aviation, construction, and engineering.
His entrepreneurial journey is an inspiring testament to his relentless pursuit of excellence and innovation.
God bless Dr.Godbless for being a blessing to his People.
© October 9, 2024
* Mulade Calls for Developmental Bonds Amongst Ijaw & Itsekiri Nationalities
By Divine Perezide
A renowned peace and development advocate in the Niger Delta region, Comrade Mulade Sheriff, Ph.D has urged the Ijaw and the Itsekiri ethnic nationalities of Delta State to foster bonds of unity and friendship so as to attract investors to their areas for positive development and growth.
Comrade Mulade, who is the Ibe Serimowei of the ancient Gbaramatu Kingdom in Warri South-West council area of the State, made the call while speaking to some leaders from the Ijaw and Itsekiri ethnic groups in Warri
The United Nations peace ambassador appealed to the leaders from both ethnic nationalities to embrace peace, to unite, and to let love lead in their collective pursuit for sustainable development, devoid of bias and ethnic supremacy, which he said “is the only way that we can grow and development our areas.”
Speaking further, he sad, “Frankly, we are disgracing ourselves, and it is highly disappointing that many of us are beating the drum of ethnic war for personal interest and recognition.
“Please, we don’t need division, but progressive ties that will attract investors and development to our communities,” he pleaded.
Comrade Mulade further argued that the Ijaws and the Itsekiris contribute so much to the revenues of both the state and the nation, but are not recognised in terms of infrastructure, worsened by the continued state of acrimony.
“It is imperative to state that the Ijaw and Itsekiri areas in Delta State contribute the highest quota in the oil and gas industry as well as the blue economy, but we are deliberately deprived, neglected and shortchanged from development because of ethnic division and hatred amongst ourselves, which has eluded us”, he posited.
“I want to strongly appeal to our revered traditional rulers, political leaders, and stakeholders to allow peace and development thrive”
“We are victims of underdevelopment because of our individual and ethnic pride that is affecting our growth and development. Today, all development efforts are concentrated in the uplands while neglecting the sources of the resources,” he lamented.
By: Prof. Benedict Binebai
One must aver that concerning the Niger Delta, that most vital and economically pulsating hub of Nigeria, the paramount endeavour ought to be the fortification of hope amongst its denizens and the edification of its citizenry. In this vein, the Federal Government has demonstrated sagacity in instituting the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), a most commendable initiative. Moreover, the appointment of a true scion of the region’s struggle, Chief Dr. Dennis Burutu Otuaro, as the administrator of the PAP, bespeaks a discerning choice.
Albeit tumultuous times erstwhile beset the region, there now prevails a relative tranquillity, and the narratives of vision pertaining to the management of funds have resonated with striking efficacy in the ears of the region’s inhabitants. Chief Dr. Dennis Burutu Otuaro, the eminent PAP boss, merits approbation for his stewardship. In a span of less than two years, the felicitous outcomes of the programme, as interpreted and operated by this distinguished gentleman, have been manifestly evident. His tenure has been characterised by an assiduous dedication to fostering peace, stability, and a renaissance of hope in the Niger Delta. The beauty of the programme, as conveyed through his adept administration, has captured the imagination of the region’s populace, engendering a sense of optimism touching upon the prospects for sustainable development and harmonious coexistence.
By: Prof. Benedict Binebai
The Tompolo Model of the Revolution of the Mind is a pivotal framework for empowering the Ijaw nation through a profound and transformative shift in collective consciousness, perception, and thinking. This model, spearheaded by Tompolo, a former militant commander of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), emphasises the empowerment of the Ijaw people to reclaim their identity, challenge oppressive systems, and drive progress through cultural empowerment, self-determination, and adaptive strategies. It involves breaking free from mental constraints imposed by external forces, embracing one’s heritage, and fostering a renewed sense of agency to address challenges and seize opportunities.
The Tompolo Model ignites a revolution of the mind for the Ijaw nation, implying a significant metamorphosis in cognition, perception, and approach to challenges and opportunities amongst the Ijaw people, who predominantly reside in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. With a population of around 15 million, the Ijaw have a distinct culture that includes traditions like returning deceased women to their natal homes for burial and celebrations honouring water spirits. Historically strong in fishing, trading, and water transport within their mangrove forests and creeks, the Ijaw face challenges like environmental degradation from oil spills. The Tompolo Model could catalyse advances in cultural preservation and empowerment, emboldening the Ijaw to embrace their legacy whilst navigating modern exigencies. It could leverage historical strengths in fishing and trading for economic progress in the Niger Delta. It might also nurture efficacious, inclusive governance in the Ijaw’s clan-based polity, where chiefs and elders entwine tradition with democratic tenets. Potential outcomes include enhancement of identity and pride amongst the Ijaw through fortified cultural essence, inciting innovation to surmount challenges like poverty, and espousing sustainable stewardship of the Niger Delta’s natural resources.
Tompolo, through his leadership in the struggle for his people’s emancipation amidst environmental degradation and exploitation by oil companies, has been instrumental in galvanising efforts towards emancipation, cultural empowerment, and sustainable development.
Through cultural risorgimento, political activism, spiritual authenticity, pragmatism, economic empowerment, educational support, historical restoration, and geographical restoration, the Ijaw nation could experience significant progress via the Tompolo Model.
Building bridges across tribe and geography in the Niger Delta could foster inter-tribal cooperation, enhance connectivity within the complex waterways, and promote cultural exchanges for peaceful coexistence and development in the region.
The Tompolo Model of a mind revolution for the Ijaw nation resonates with Frantz Fanon’s concepts of mental decolonisation and liberation through awakened consciousness. Fanon, in his work “The Wretched of the Earth”, emphasised the necessity for colonised peoples to break free from imposed mental frameworks and reclaim their essence, culture, and volition. Similarly, Tompolo’s leadership in advocating for the Niger Delta’s emancipation amidst environmental onslaughts echoes Fanon’s call for a revolution in consciousness to defy oppressive systems. Both visions underscore the importance of reclaiming cultural identity, challenging external domination, and nurturing empowerment through transformed mindset to drive progress and liberation.
Additionally, the theory of *Paulo Freire’s Pedagogy of the Oppressed* supports Tompolo’s revolution of the mind. Freire’s work emphasises the importance of critical consciousness and empowerment of marginalised communities through education and collective action. Like Fanon, Freire advocates for breaking free from oppressive structures and fostering a sense of agency among oppressed peoples to drive change. Tompolo’s efforts in empowering the Ijaw people amidst environmental and economic challenges in the Niger Delta align with Freire’s principles of promoting critical awareness, empowerment, and liberation of marginalised communities.
The revolution of the mind is one of the greatest weapons of progress and decolonisation. By transforming collective consciousness and breaking free from mental constraints imposed by external forces, communities like the Ijaw can reclaim their identity, drive self-determined progress, and challenge systems of oppression. This revolution empowers marginalised peoples to assert their agency, nurture cultural pride, and seek sustainable development pathways that align with their values and heritage. In the context of the Tompolo Model, the revolution of the mind stands as a powerful tool for the Ijaw nation to navigate the complexities of modern challenges while staying rooted in their cultural essence.
In conclusion, the Tompolo Model emerges as a potent catalyst for progress, empowerment, and the reclaiming of identity in the Niger Delta. Tompolo’s vision aligns with principles of liberation and self-determination, echoing the transformative ideas of Frantz Fanon and resonating with Paulo Freire’s pedagogy of empowerment. By championing the cause of the Ijaw people and navigating the complexities of tradition and modernity, the Tompolo Model for a mind revolution stands as a powerful framework for transformative change when driven by a commitment to cultural integrity, environmental stewardship, and the empowerment of marginalised communities.