The Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodinma has lashed out multinationals, like Shell, Mobil, Chevron and TotalEnergies, describing them as companies who play double standards in their operations.
He pointed out that they were genuine investors in the Nigerian oil sector.
Uzodinma pointed out that the sooner they leave, the better for local investors to come in and operate.
The Governor who spoke while appearing on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics monitored by Africa Today News, New York noted thatthose leaving are not investors.
He said; ‘They are those who were benefiting from the Cabal system. When they tell you they’re leaving, they’re leaving because they can no longer benefit from foreign exchange disparity. They can no longer benefit from crude oil theft. They can no longer benefit from earnings of petroleum subsidy. Pretending to be importing fuel when they were not importing anyone, forging documents to access government money. Those are the people living and again, it is a blessing in disguise. Because the more we live, the more opportunity the indigenous companies will have to participate.
‘There is no rocket science. There is no foreign investor who is comfortable in his country that wants to leave his country and come here. And at the same time, there is the good investors and genuine investors who are Nigerians who have been denied opportunity to practise and invest there now. So, I think the earlier the artificial and fake investors leave, the better for Nigeria.
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He further pointed out that multi-nationals in Nigeria were only operating in the country selfishly. He said; ‘We take the oil and gas industry for instance, is there anywhere in the world you go and see any filling station you want to refuel your car that is not Shell, Mobil, Chevron, Total. How many of them are operating filling stations in Nigeria.
‘Why are we isolated and you call them real investors. Why are they taken to offshore operation abandoning onshore operation if they are genuine? You go to Houston, landing Houston you will see airport, you will see oil locations, you see vegetables planted all over there, habitable for human existence. Fly to Warri, as you are landing Warri airport. Look at oil locations. Look at the sea, there is nothing in existence. No fish is there, nothing; the environment is degraded to criminal level. Are they what you call investors?’ he queried.
‘People who have no regard to our environmental laws. Are they what you call investors, people who now operate double standards, apply a different application in other countries, and then apply the degrading application to Nigeria? Is that what you call investors? Please, if we don’t take our destiny in our hands, we will be doomed for it.
‘We must find courage and Bola Ahmed Tinubu must be supported to succeed. I warn I’m not a prophet, but my experience of life, my experience doing business for the past 45 years, tells me that this is the man to support. So Nigeria can become Nigeria again.’