Lokpobiri Calls For Peace, Resumption of Work at Oloibiri Museum Project

By Diafa Doubra

The Honourable Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, has appealed to the people of Otuabagi community in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State to reopen the Oloibiri Oil Museum and Research Centre project site for construction to resume.

Lokpobiri made the appeal during a meeting held in Yenagoa on Sunday with the President of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide, Sir Jonathan Lokpobiri Snr, the Chairman of Otuabagi Chiefs Council, and other stakeholders who came to seek his intervention in the ongoing dispute. The Minister urged the community to set aside grievances and embrace dialogue, emphasizing that Oloibiri, being the cradle of Nigeria’s oil industry, has suffered decades of neglect and deserves renewed development attention.

While stressing that “two wrongs don’t make a right,” Lokpobiri encouraged the people to focus on progress and unity, noting that continued closure of the site would only stall a project meant to benefit the community and the Niger Delta region at large. He assured the delegation that he would return to Abuja to address pressing issues concerning the project and schedule a follow-up visit to personally mediate and ensure lasting peace.

Senator Lokpobiri further appealed to the IYC and community leaders to return home and persuade residents to reopen the site, highlighting that the Oloibiri Museum and Research Centre is not just a federal project but a legacy initiative that would bring tourism, employment, and educational benefits to the area. He warned that persistent delays could lead to the community losing the opportunity altogether.

It would be recalled that work on the site was halted following disagreements among the host community, construction giant Julius Berger, and the state government’s steering committee. The impasse had prompted the intervention of the IYC President, who sought the attention of the Honourable Minister to help restore peace and progress.