By Isaac Olamikan, Senior Correspondent, Benin
Bishop Mike Emuh, the national chairman of the Host Communities of Nigeria Producing Oil and Gas(HOSCON), has stated that the recent issuance of a gazette by the Federal Government to the effect that all oil companies flaring gas in Nigeria should pay money direct to the HOSCON Oil and Gas Trust Fund was a welcome development.
“With that directive been obeyed to the letter there is going to be a provision in the Niger Delta region in terms of industrialization, agriculture, employment, empowerment, development etc in the region and the country as a whole,” he stated.
On modular refinery, Bishop Emuh said: “It is the desire of the Federal Government to stop importation of refined products. We are having four weak refineries that are subject to upgrading. That is capital intensive.
“The government wants the private sector to be involved in the modular refineries issue. HOSCON have decided to dialogue with foreign technical partners as financiers.
“A technical committee has been set up made up of engineers of modular refineries and other committees that have been set up on industrialization and agriculture. They are all working together.
“We have gotten land donated to us in five states for modular refineries. We are working on the Environmental Impact Assessment(EIA) and other needed items by the foreign technical partners. We believe that with the President Muhammadu Bugatti we are going to start operating the modular refineries soon.”
Meanwhile, rising from a meeting of the top brass of the HOSCON held last weekend in Effurun, Delta State, His Highness, Obong Okon Akpamowong, chairman of the Akwa Ibom State chapter of the body, stated: “God has made it possible for Niger Delta people to fight for their rights. He raised Bishop Emuh to lead us in the fight. For long we have been marginalised.
“God has made us to see the need for us to come together as a body to tell the government to give us our due. We thank God for President Buhari who has given us a listening ear.
“We know that very soon whatever remains to be done by him for the people of the Niger Delta would be done without hassles.”
