Mr. Bassey Etim

A MEMBER of the House of Representatives, Mr. Bassey Etim, has faulted the Federal Government's decision to organise a roundtable on how to resolve the crisis in the Niger Delta.

A MEMBER of the House of Representatives, Mr. Bassey Etim, has faulted the Federal Government's decision to organise a roundtable on how to resolve the crisis in the Niger Delta.

He said what the government needs is the political will by progressively allocating funds for infrastructure development in the region in its yearly budget.

Speaking with The Guardian in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State capital yesterday, the lawmaker asked: "What summit did the Federal Government organise before the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, was developed?If the government is not paying lip-service to the development of the Niger Delta, let them put their programmes for the people to see and then proceed to implement them".

He said the government could also convince the people that it meant well for them by unfolding the budget for the region and the projects to be executed before the summit begins.

Etim, who represents Uyo Federal Constituency in the Lower House, said the frequent resort to summit by the government on issues that could be cheaply handled if the sincerity was there, would soon become unattractive to Nigerians and advised the government to send the budget for the development of Niger Delta to the National Assembly.

He said the government should not waste public funds about any summit on the region until the money for its development had been appropriated.

Too early for Kupolokun to sack... - [Cached Version]
Published on: 11/28/2003    Last Visited: 11/30/2003  

Addressing a press conference on the development in Abuja, yesterday, the Deputy Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Federal Character, Bassey Etim, said the committee would ask the corporation to forward to it ‘the nominal roll of the entire staff of the corporation that were affected by the exercise†to determine how well it conformed with the principle of federal character.

"While the corporation has the right to recruit whoever will render services, it is imperative that such actions are done without recourse to ethnic subversion.We are weary of the ethnic cleavage that is fast gripping the oil industry and we hope this is not one of such acts.The federal character principle must be followed in every restructuring that would take place in the corporation," he said.

Addressing mediamen at the end of the tour, the Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Bassey Etim, stated the commission have recorded so much achievements in crime fighting ."Look at the number of arrests so far made, the number of prosecution, the huge number of vehicles impounded and the large sum of money that have been recovered from fraudstars . These are remarkable achievements.So I call on the elites to support EFCC and discourage 419", adding that they were quite sure that the commission still have more prosecution to be made in the nearest future.While insisting that all hands must be on deck if the image of the country must be redeemed, Etim promised that the committee would look into some of the loop holes confronting the commission, but that it will only be done at the end of their mission.

The Deputy Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Federal Cha-racter, Honourable Bassey Etim has commended President Olusegun Obasanjo, for signing the Onshore/Offshore Abroga-tion Dichotomy Bill into law saying, it will engender peace in the Niger Delta.
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Bassey, who spoke to National Assembly Correspon-dents said, although the law may on the surface not seem too attractive, it was better than the bike rings which had attended the issue, as it has chances of being amended in future.

"It is okay that the President has assented to the bill which is victory for the Niger Delta.It has opened a floodgate for the people to talk about the environment.You know the law of the sea had been an international one but for the first time, the people will know the extent their rights in the maritime environment can go and also to protect the environment as their," he said.

Asked if the replacement of 200 nautical miles with 200 meters depth would not deprive the littoral states of revenue, since the depth may be shallow and not allow the states to partake of the resources found in bigger depths, he said, the waters of the Niger Delta were shallow and what would accrue may even be the same as when it was 200 nautical miles.

Etim also said, the earlier provision of 200 nautical miles could create some international problems since that measurement falls into other countries in some places, as they were nearer than the measurement.

The lawmaker said the law of the sea has since inception, witnessed over seven amendments, adding that if in the course of time, it was discovered to be denying the people of revenue, it may be changed for a more rewarding provision.

Bassey was sure that the signing of the bill into law would stem youth restiveness, as suffering would lessen, adding that it showed sensitivity on the part of the President.

Deputy Chairman of the Federal Character Commission in the House of Representatives, Hon Bassey Etim, has alleged that the sack of 1,388 staff of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) was in furtherance of anethnic cleansing in the oil sector.

Etim, who raised the alarm in Abuja yesterday said his Committee has concluded plans to summon the Corporation as well as ask the NNPC to forward the corporation's nominal role to the House as well as the service record of those off loaded into the labour market.

"In line with the above, the committee has concluded plans to invite the NNPC to forward the nominal role of th3 entire staff of the corporation as well as the record of service of the affected officers," he said.

Decrying the sack of such number of workers in one fell swoop when unemployment was high, Etim regretted that it was experienced workers that were being relieved of their services.