A coalition of ex-militant leaders and civil advocacy groups in the Niger Delta under the auspices of Niger Delta Advocate For Peace And Good Governance (NDAPGG) have described as commendable and a practical investment the recent award of a contract worth $1.5 billion for rehabilitation of Port Harcourt Refinery in Rivers State.
According to the group, the decision to approve the rehabilitation work on the refinery is a further confirmation of the massive infrastructural reforms and the transparent policy framework ongoing in the oil and gas sector and deliberate measure by the President Muhammadu Buhari administration to create jobs, empower the youths of the region and create closer participation of the region in the oil and gas sector.
The Niger Delta Advocate For Peace And Good Governance (NDAPGG) in a statement issued after an enlarged meeting of members in Warri, Delta State and signed by ‘General’ Fiawei Pathfinder, Gen Peres Ayama, ‘General’ Double Snake Amaebi, ‘General’ Oruware also known as Agadagba, commended President Muhammadu Buhari and the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva over the massive infrastructural reforms and the transparent policy framework that is ongoing in the oil and gas sector and the recent award of contract worth $1.5 billion for rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt Refinery in Rivers State.
According to the group, the oil and gas sector, under the leadership of President Buhari and the Minister of Petroleum, has really impacted on the lives of Nigerians within this short period, “we also opposed some critics who are speaking against the money approved for the rehabilitation of the refinery, pointing out that the refinery is worth it based on the quality of job the contractor will carry out in four phases, and also the expertise that would come to play with modern technology replacing the old to enhance a greater productivity that would revamp total deregulation of the downstream sector and to boost the economy of the country.
“The Niger Delta Advocate For Peace And Good Governance Group and other groups have come together to agree to back the Minister for all the reforms and the excellent policy frame works he has embarked upon in the oil and gas industry including the recent approval of $1.5 billion rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt Refinery project.
“It won’t be wise if we begin to go aggressive and hostile on what will boost the economy of the states in the Niger Delta region at this crucial time. We examined the perimeters and explanation given by our own brother and leader, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, who is a proud son from the Niger Delta, over the rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt Refinery in order to cut down importation of petroleum products, PMS.
“Our support for this $1.5 billion rehabilitation of the facility by President Muhammadu Buhari is laudable knowing that it will boost the economy of the region and create jobs and attract development to the region as well. We want to specially appreciate President, Muhammaud Buhari his wisdom to appoint Chief Timipre Sylva who is a former Governor of Bayelsa State as the Minister of Petroleum Resources to oversee the oil and gas sector in other to reposition the oil industry to better the lives of the people from the oil and gas producing communities.
“We also want to acknowledge and commend the key vital role played by the Minister of Petroleum Resources for the approval of $1.5 billion by the Federal Government to rehabilitate the Port Harcourt Refinery, including the total rehabilitation of the Warri and Kaduna Refinery process that is presently undergoing evaluation for a suitable Italian firm to commence as soon as possible of which an Italian firm will be part of the management and proper maintenance of the nation’s three major refineries by Tecnimon Company, an Italian giant, which has been a versatile expert in building and maintaining of refineries according to best global practices.”
“Through this laudable effort, we have seen a solution to the lingering huge burden of subsidy funds palava that is affecting the downstream sector and equally bring to an end the incessant increment of fuel price, known as Premium Motor Spirit(PMS) in the country. By this we see and hope that the issue of subsidy and importation of refined petroleum products such as PMS, AGO and others will soon be a thing of the past, which in turn save the billions of dollars spent on subsidy, which will be channeled to good use and to improve lives of Nigerians and to improve other sectors in the country.”
