Governor Henry Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State has commended the Federal
Government for its decision to set up modular refineries, describing it as
a brilliant idea that will not only create more jobs but would also
increase the economic fortunes of Nigeria.
According to him, the refineries when fully on stream, will also curb the
illegal refining of petroleum products which has been on for years and
reduce casualties associated with such risk.
A statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Iworiso-Markson, said the
governor stated this on sidelines of the ongoing Oil and Gas Trade
Conference (OTC), in Houston, Texas, United States of America.
Present with the Governor at the event were Senator Foster Ogola, Hon.
Fred Agbedi who is Chairman House Committee on Gas, Hon. Henry Ofongu,
Secretary to the State Government, Barr. Serena Dokubo-Spiff, Commissioner
for Investment, Trade, Commerce and Industries, Barr. Kemela Okara, Chief
Economic Adviser, Duate Iyabe, Special Adviser on Investment, Cyril Akika
among other top aides of the governor.
Dickson said that because of the laudable initiative, his government had
fully embraced it by setting up a company; Bayelsa Petrochemical and
Refinery Company Limited, to partner with willing investors to ensure that
the refineries are established and up and running.
The governor told his audience made up of key players in the global oil
industry that Bayelsa being the home of oil and gas in Nigeria, provides
strategic investment opportunities as well as a conducive and secured
environment to drive investment in that sector.
He said that the participation of his state in the OTC is strategic as it
affords it the opportunity to meet and leverage with prospective investors
on various opportunities provided by his government.
Dickson who reiterated that already Bayelsa State has in abundance gas
feedstock to power the modular refineries said ” It is interesting to note
that we already have more than enough gas in abundance to deliver the
three modular refineries so we are good to go”.
While emphasising the issue of security, the governor assured prospective
investors that all investments would be fully secured and also allayed
fears expressed on threats to destruction of pipelines.
“To a large extent, as a state government given our strategic and massive
investment in security over the last five years, we make bold to say that
our state is one of the safest in the Niger Delta and Nigeria. So would-be
investors have nothing to worry about”, Dickson stressed.
The governor used the occasion to announce that the Kolo Creek Gas plant
which is the first independent power plant in the country has been running
for years and again listed the opportunities available in the state to
drive investments in modular refineries, power plants and allied
petrochemical industries.
Dickson was also a guest at the Nigerian Content Development and Montoring
Board (NCDMB) strategic Stakeholders Event as part of the OTC roundtable
side meetings, where the Honourable Minister of State for Petroleum, Ibe
kachukwu, along with other key players in the oil and gas sector were
present.
At that forum, he further called on major players in the industry to
partner with the State on a number of opportunities in driving investment
in key sectors of the State and lauded the recent federal government
policy directing Oil companies to relocate to the oil producing states.
To this, he asserted that Bayelsa has already provided the enabling
environment to make the relocation of the oil companies easy and seamless
and talked about the 3.5km runway international airport which the State
is presently constructing and is at almost 90 percent completion level.
“The airport will enable the oil companies executives to be able to fly in
and out of the state without the the stress of travel time from Port
Harcourt to Yenagoa and the completion of the new heliport will serve the
purpose of helicopter shuttles”.
“In addition to that, the ambitious infrastructural projects provided by
the present government to facilitate businesses in the state has made
Bayelsa to be fully ready and open for business” he said.
In his remarks, the honourable minister of state for Petroleum commended
Governor Dickson for all the initiatives and efforts put in place to
attract investment in the sector, particularly the move by the state
government to set up three modular refineries.
ENDS…