Heineken Lokpobiri

Last updated

Heineken Lokpobiri
Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil)
Assumed office
21 August 2023
Servingwith Ekperikpe Ekpo (Gas)
Profession
  • Politician
  • lawyer

Heineken Lokpobiri (born 3 March 1967) is a Nigerian politician who is the minister of state for Petroleum Resources (Oil). [1] He previously served as minister of state for Agriculture and Rural Development from 2015 to 2019, [2] and as Senator representing Bayelsa West Senatorial District from 2007 to 2015. [3] He is a former speaker of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly.

Contents

Early life and education

Heineken Lokpobiri received an LL.B (Hons) in 1994 from Rivers State University of Science and Technology, [4] Port Harcourt, BL February 1995. Expert in Environmental Rights and Environmental Law, holds a Doctorate degree Ph.D. from Leeds Beckett University, UK in 2015 [3]

Political career

Lokpobiri was a member of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly from 1999 to 2003, and speaker of the house from June 1999 – May 2001. [5]

First senate term

He was elected to the Nigerian Senate for the Bayelsa West constituency in 2007 and was appointed to committees on Sports, Public Accounts, Police Affairs, Niger Delta and Millennium Development Goals.

After Nigeria performed poorly at the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations in Ghana, the Senate Sports Committee [6] of which Lokpobiri was chairman issued a report which cast blame on maladministration and lack of cooperation from the Director General of the National Sports Commission, Dr. Amos Adamu. [7] Lokpobiri was chairman of the Senate Ad-hoc Committee on Transport. In June 2009, after further sabotage of oil facilities by militants in the Niger Delta, he praised the Federal Government's amnesty, saying "With the current amnesty deal, I believe that both parties will go home satisfactory and the contractors will henceforth work in more stable environment and that will accelerate the pace of road construction in the region." [8]

In July 2009, the Senate passed the National Agency for Elderly Persons bill, sponsored by Lokpobiri, which will give legal support, welfare and recreational facilities to elderly people in the country. [9] In September 2009, the authorities of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) and the Federal Executive Council (FEC) announced approval of new land charges in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory. Senator Lokpobiri initiated a stormy debate when he accused the authorities of acting illegally by failing to first secure the approval of the National Council of States. [10]

Second senate term

Lokpobiri ran for reelection as Bayelsa West Senator in the April 2011 elections, on the PDP platform, and was initially declared the winner. However, the Independent National Electoral Commission [11] (INEC) then withdrew their decision, declaring that the election was fraught with “widespread irregularities”. [12] A few minutes after the announcement, Lokpobiri was arrested by State Security Service operatives. [13] [14] Lokpobiri challenged the INEC decision. The INEC had planned to rerun the election in Sagbama and Ekeremor local governments on 28 April 2011, but a high court in Yenagoa issued an order restraining the INEC from conducting the election until the challenge had been resolved. [15] Lokpobiri took his seat in the Senate on 29 May 2011 and was appointed chairman of the committee on Water Resources and a member of the committee on Solid Minerals. [3] In August 2011, it was reported that the police were not prosecuting Lokpobiri and others suspected of electoral offenses since the INEC had to approve any such move. The INEC said that it did not have the powers to prosecute offenders. [16]

In March 2012, Lokpobiri introduced controversial legislation that would make it harder for labor unions to call a strike. A ballot would be required before industrial action could be started. Lokpobiri said, "This helps to achieve an affirmative consensus on union members through the instrumentality of ballot. Fairness, transparency and accountability are also given pride of place in the scheme of things." [17] Other senators disagreed. Senator Joshua Dariye said, "The most democratic institution in the world is organized labour, they are the only hope of the society, if we stampede them, I fear we will be calling for anarchy.

In 2015, he decamped from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to the All Progressives Congress, APC. He was later appointed by the Buhari led APC as a minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development" [18]

Personal life

Lokpobiri is married and has four children. [19]

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References

  1. ↑ "Tinubu Releases Ministerial Portfolios, assigns FCT to Wike, Labour to Lalong". guardian.ng. 16 August 2023. Retrieved 26 December 2023.
  2. ↑ Nigeria, Media (5 June 2018). "Biography Of Heineken Lokpobiri". Media Nigeria. Retrieved 11 February 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 "Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri". National Assembly of Nigeria. Retrieved 25 May 2012.
  4. ↑ "Rivers State University of Science and Technology Official Website". www.rsu.edu.ng. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
  5. ↑ "Bayelsa State – Legislative". Bayelsa State. Retrieved 17 September 2009.
  6. ↑ "Committee - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms". Vocabulary.com. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
  7. ↑ "Lokpobiri's unfriendly environment". The Sun News. 14 September 2008. Retrieved 17 September 2009.[ permanent dead link ]
  8. ↑ "185,000 barrels shut in as militants hit oil facility". Royal Dutch Shell Plc. 19 June 2009. Retrieved 23 July 2014.
  9. ↑ "Senate passes Elderly Persons Bill". TIMBUKTU MEDIA. July 15, 2009. Archived from the original on July 21, 2011. Retrieved September 17, 2009.
  10. ↑ "Will FG reverse Abuja land charges?". Nigerian Tribune. 15 September 2009. Archived from the original on 23 February 2013. Retrieved 17 September 2009.
  11. ↑ "INEC Nigeria – Independent National Electoral Commission". Library of Congress. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
  12. ↑ "Irregularity - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms". Vocabulary.com. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
  13. ↑ "SSS Arrests Senator Lokpobiri over Saturday's Polls". ThisDay. 12 April 2011. Archived from the original on 15 April 2011. Retrieved 21 February 2011.
  14. ↑ Hope Abah (11 April 2011). "SSS arrest Sen. Lokpobiri in Yenagoa". Daily Trust. Retrieved 25 May 2012.
  15. ↑ Bunmi Awolusi (April 28, 2011). "Court restrains INEC from conducting rescheduled Bayelsa polls – Channels". Channels TV. Archived from the original on April 30, 2011. Retrieved June 18, 2011.
  16. ↑ John Alechenu (7 August 2011). "April elections: INEC, Police pass buck over high profile offenders". The Punch. Archived from the original on 22 February 2013. Retrieved 25 May 2012.
  17. ↑ Onyedi Ojiabor, and Sanni Onogu (14 March 2012). "Row in Senate over Bill to stifle strike". The Nation. Abuja. Retrieved 25 May 2012.
  18. ↑ INALEGWU SHAIBU (14 March 2012). "Law to gag labour on strike splits Senate". Vanguard. Retrieved 25 May 2012.
  19. ↑ "Heineken Lokpobiri". Global Leadership Project. Retrieved 25 May 2012.[ permanent dead link ]
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