Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) Malam Habib Abdullahi has urged all the parties involved in the Gas Industrial Park Project at Ogidigben Ports, Warri, Delta State to ensure the success of the project in the national interest.
According to the Managing Director, the project should be of great interest to the nation, considering the tremendous economic and social benefit that would be derived from it when it is successfully completed.
Malam Abdullahi made the assertion while speaking at a meeting with officials of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) on the progress so far made on the project in his office in Lagos on last week.
While assuring that the NPA would collaborate with the NNPC for the successful execution of the project, the Managing Director implored all those involved in the project to fast track the process so that appreciable progress could be made before the end of this month.
The Managing Director commended the NNPC for its giant strides on the project, especially in the area of resolution of the conflicts among the communities where the project is to be sited
Malam Abdullahi told the delegation that since NNPC had been able to resolve the authority’s concerns, the NPA would work on other areas like dredging and breakwaters construction
While reacting to requests for the size of land for the project by NNPC, the Managing Director described it as a national project and assured that the request for the size of land for the project would be looked into
He explained that the authority would soon conclude consultation on the status of the Port and its mode of operation, under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement.
Earlier, the Executive Director, Gas and Power of the NNPC, Dr. David Ige informed the Managing Director that the project would require a lot of land reclamation, adding that its success was dependent on ports and solicited adequate support and collaboration with the authority.
Highlight of the visit was a display of a video clip of project area spanning through Ekpopo creek to Okpele communities in Escravos, very close to Gbaramatu, Delta State, with about two to three kilometers water front.
Other members of the NNPC delegation include its General Manager, Processing, Malam Barau Mohammed, Manager Gas, Malam Al- Almin Musa, Resident Engineer, Malam Ali Sherif, while the authority comprised among others, the General Manager, Capital Project, Engineer Rufai Mohammed, General Manager, Marine and Operations, Malam A. A Goje, General Manager, Joint Ventures and Business Development, Mrs. Ugo Madubuike and Assistant General Manager, Capital Project, Engineer Akin Oyejola.
