Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, has commended President Bola Tinubu for the Federal Government’s Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) Penetration Initiative, describing it as a bold step towards improving the welfare of Nigerians.
Governor Diri also said the scheme, which targets the distribution of compressed cylinders gas to vulnerable Nigerians that have long relied on firewood for cooking, would reduce wood logging, deforestation and the attendant environmental impact.
A statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, quoted the Bayelsa governor as giving the commendation at the launch of the Decade of Gas: National Grassroots LPG Penetration Programme on Tuesday at the Banquet Hall in Yenagoa, where Bayelsa became the first state to benefit from the state-level rollout of the initiative.
The scheme is expected to cover no fewer than 27,000 beneficiaries in the state.
Governor Diri said the programme marked a significant shift in the Federal Government’s approach to ensuring that communities that produce the nation’s oil and gas resources also enjoy the benefits of cleaner and safer energy.
He noted that for decades, communities in the Niger Delta suffered environmental degradation, poverty and neglect despite contributing immensely to the nation’s economy, stressing that the LPG initiative signals the beginning of a positive change.
He expressed appreciation to President Tinubu, the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources (Gas), development partners and sponsors for bringing the programme to Bayelsa, saying the initiative aligns with the state’s commitment to improving the quality of life of its people.
He explained that the transition from firewood to gas would not only reduce environmental degradation but also improve public health by limiting exposure to harmful smoke associated with traditional cooking methods.
The governor urged residents to embrace clean cooking energy and discard the misconception that food prepared with firewood was superior.
While applauding the decision to provide beneficiaries six free cylinder refills, Diri appealed for a review of the implementation framework to allow for a longer transition period before states assume the responsibility.
He proposed that the refill arrangement be extended to a two-year grace period to enable states adequately plan, engage stakeholders and make budgetary provisions that would guarantee sustainability of the programme.
The governor reaffirmed the state government’s readiness to partner with the Federal Government in expanding access to clean energy and improving the welfare of citizens.
In his address, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Dr. Ekperikpe Ekpo, described the launch as a historic milestone, noting that Bayelsa becomes the first state to host the state-level LPG cylinder distribution programme.
He said the programme was designed to make clean cooking energy more accessible to households, reduce dependence on firewood and charcoal, improve public health, protect the environment and stimulate economic opportunities along the LPG value chain.
Ekpo stated that the initiative is in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the President Tinubu administration.
He also assured beneficiaries that refill centres would be established closer to communities to make access to LPG more convenient, while reaffirming the Federal Government’s commitment to ensuring that gas prices remain affordable for ordinary Nigerians.
In an earlier address, the Coordinating Director of the Decade of Gas Initiative, Mr. Ed Ubong, stated that the Federal Government aims to transition five million Nigerian households to LPG for cooking by 2030 under the programme.
Ubong said the initiative targets one million households annually and described Bayelsa as the ideal starting point for the programme as hosts to one of Africa’s largest gas processing facilities and holding a significant place in Nigeria’s oil and gas history.
Earlier, during the minister’s courtesy visit to his office, Governor Diri acknowledged that Bayelsa was endowed with more gas deposits than crude oil.
He described as an aberration a situation where revenues that ought to accrue to the state from the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Company such as personal income tax and other revenues were remited to other states, and urged President Tinubu to address the injustice.
His words: “About 60 per cent of the gas to the NLNGC is derived from Bayelsa State. But guess what? No tax is paid to the government of Bayelsa. All the taxes are paid to other state governments. What is the benefit of the people from where this gas is collected?“
He maintained that Bayelsa had been shortchanged for decades, which he said was largely responsible for the state’s low internally generated revenue base.
The state’s helmsman also bemoaned the health hazards suffered by the people of the Niger Delta coupled with the environmental degradation caused by decades of oil exploration and gas flaring.
According to him, the situation prompted his predecessor, Senator Seriake Dickson, to establish the Bayelsa State Oil and Environment Commission (BSOEC) to look into the effects of oil spills and gas flares by oil companies operating in the region.
