The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio has called on Niger Delta youths to shun crime and imbibe the spirit of intellectual persuasion in the pursuit of progress.
Akpabio made there remark at a two-day Niger Delta Oil and Gas Investment and Security summit, which commenced in Aug. 29 and ended on Aug. 30 in Calabar on Saturday.
The summit was themed, “Constructive Engagement for the Protection of Oil and Gas Assets and Supporting Institutions to Drive Implementation of Extent Laws to Deepen Local Content Realisation.”
The Senate President was represented by Sen. Benson Agadaga, Chairman, Senate Committee on Oil and Gas Host Communities.
He said the people of Niger Delta should be known for their intellectual engagement to get things right and not just lamentation and agitation.
He said that it was through such summit that ideas were shared to enable them move forward, develop their environment, and build their communities.
Akpabio added that the laws were there but that the people of the region must rise up to give life to them.
According to him the oil industry has a lot of laws, but the implementation of these laws rests with us
‘’It is a thing of joy that we now have the Petroleum Industry Act, which specifies many functions for us.
Akpabio said that the Local Content Act, and the Environmental Content Development and Monitoring Act provisions could be taken advantage of by the people for their progress.
He urged the people to not only take advantage of the provisions, but to take the bull by the horn and invest in the oil and gas industry.
“There is nothing wrong if two or three people, or organisations, come together to form their own company to invest in the oil and gas sector of the region,” he said.
On his part, Mr Ekpirikpe Ekpo, Minister of State for Petroleum Gas, highlighted the various Federal Government investments in the oil and gas sector including the gas to methanol plant in Bayelsa.
Represented by his Senior Technical Advisor, Mr Abel Nsa, Ekpo noted that Cross River was strategically located to attract methanol projects
He explained that developing a methanol plant in the state would create jobs and promote technology transfer.
He stated that it would also position the state as a hub for a gas-based industrilisation.
Ekpo said that Cross River had enormous gas export potential due to the Eastern Horizon Pipeline.
He explained that gas was being transported from Akwa Ibom through a valve station connected to the Obigbo-Aba line through to Cross River, terminating at UniCem, a factory in Mfamosin in Cross River.
“This infrastructure creates a unique opportunity for Cross River to serve as a gateway for gas exports to Cameroon and the wider Central African markets.
“By leveraging this corridor, Nigeria can generate significant foreign exchange revenues, strengthen regional energy security, and position Calabar as a true export hub,” he said
Ekpo, however, added that all of those opportunities depended on securing the nation’s assets.
He added that oil theft, pipeline vandalism, and sabotage were threatening not only revenue but also investors’ confidence.
Dr Chinedu Ogwus, a member of the International Society of Petroleum Engineers, said the challenges in the Niger Delta were caused by poor leadership and justice system in the nation.
Ogwus, who is also the Regional Director, Africa Robotics and Autonomous Systems, said the nation could drastically reduce the insecurity in the region by simply investing in technology and the youths to keep them busy.
He said there was nothing wrong in giving them, scholarships, jobs instead of the expatriates, and develop the region’s infrastructures since the large portion of the nation’s resources came from there.
He, however, called on the Niger Delta communities to be united, speak with one voice and eschew greed which was the bane to development in the region.
