Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki on Tuesday called for a review of the Gas Sales Agreement (GSA) to reflect market realities in the country, as President Muhammadu Buhari virtually commissioned the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company’s (NPDC) Oredo Integrated Gas Handling Facility (IGHF) at Ologbo, Edo State.
Obaseki, who spoke at the commissioning in Ologbo, said his administration will continue to provide an enabling environment to attract investment and ensure businesses thrive.
According to the governor, “We thank NPDC for connecting us to the gas line. I appeal to you to review the Gas Sales Agreement (GSA) signed several years ago such that the price of gas offered to us reflects the reality in the market today.
“We will continue to work for peace in Edo because we are peaceful people. We will work with all to ensure peace because without peace there will be no development. We can’t have peace without justice or have peace without integrating people in the development process.
“We will work with you to make Ologbo and Edo a gas hub to woo other investors to invest in the location,” he added.
Obaseki commended President Buhari, the Group Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mele Kyari and the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva for the commissioning of the storage and dispensing plant, noting that the deal commenced the domestic gas revolution in Edo State.
He said: “Today, we are making history again by commencing the domestic gas revolution in Edo State.
“Over the decades, we have explored gas in Nigeria and the practice has been to pipe other gas towards the waterfront and export the gas abroad but that has changed in 2020.
“With NPDC now exploring for gas in Nigeria’s largest onshore gas belt, we are proud that the Oredo fields in Edo State account for some of the largest onshore gas reserves in this country, and NPDC has thought it wise to use that gas reserve.”
The governor added: “For us in Edo, we are blessed. Apart from the agricultural resources, we are blessed with energy, particularly gas to drive the economy and we are taking full advantage of this natural endowment. We will collaborate with both local and international investors to take full benefits of this natural asset.”
On his part, Kyari commended the people of Ologbo for their peaceful disposition towards the project, which he noted has made the siting of the project possible in the community.
“We know we have a Governor that will sustain the peace in the State. This project will bring development to Ologbo people, the State and the nation at large.”
Sylva noted: “This gas revolution has started from Oredo and will spread to other parts of the country and the world will hear of Nigeria as a gas destination.”
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