WARRI- A group under the auspices of Oil Spill Victims Vanguard,OSPIW today (Friday) stated that the fight between the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation,NNPC and the Nigerian Export Processing Zone Authority,NEPZA over who to put infrastructures in place to create the enabling environment for local and foreign investors is the reason for the delay of the take-off of the #20Billion Ogidigben Gas City Project in Warri South-West Local Government Area,Delta State.
The group’s Executive Director, Mr. Harrison Jalla made the assertion at a press conference in Effurun near Warri.
Jalla pointed out that the NNPC does not need to invest a cent in the project other than providing the enabling environment since it’s a purely private sector driven project.
Jalla noted that representatives of host communities who are the major stakeholders are in touch with foreign investors to ho waiting for the past three years to invest in the Gas Revolution Project.
“Mr. President as we speak two agencies of the Federal Government the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation,NNPC and Nigerian Export Processing Zone Authority,NEPZA are fighting over who should provide the basic infrastructure for the project to take off. NNPC having done the initial clearing of the site and constructed the HELIPAD before NEPZA came in to interfere with the progress the NNPC has made as we speak the cleared site has been overgrown with weeds and trees and enveloping the helipad that was constructed by the NNPC.”
“NEPZA was alleged to have contracted the handling of the site to a certain company called ALPHA Group which has done nothing so far yo prepare the site for investors to move in.”
“As stakeholders, we are aware of foreign investors as RANCON,GASPRON(RUSSIA)NAGARJUNA(INDIA) NORWEGIANS and the CHINESE waiting in the wings with billions of United States dollars to invest in the project.”
Jalla also urged President Muhammadu Buhari to intervene with urgency and ensure the prompt take off of the Gas Revolution Industrial Park Project.
Jalla noted that the project has the potential of creating close 3Million jobs for youths in the Niger Delta who are daily turning to criminality.
“It is unacceptable Mr. President for this project to be further delayed” stressing that the Federal Government has a constitutional responsibility to ensure gainful employment to all Nigerians.
“The economic potential of the project is too huge to be toyed with.”
Jalla also stated that,”We appeal to Mr. President to use his good offices to ensure that on or before the 31st of March 2018,investors move into site in the Ogidigben Gas City Project.”
Jalla Commended President Buhari’s administration in the fight against corruption in the last two years especially at repositioning the Nigerian Economy. “But Your Excellency must beam its administration’s searchlight on the development in the Niger Delta and this project is key to justifying that.”
Jalla also threatened that his group shall invoke its constitutional rights to peaceful protest within the ambit of the law to draw federal governments attention to the gross negligence of the Niger Delta in a bid to bring the issues of the Gas Revolution Industrial Park to the front burner if by the end of March 2018 the project is not kick started.
