The Governor of Bayelsa State, Mr. Seriake Dickson, has commended the Federal Government for its decision to set up modular refineries in the Niger Delta.
Dickson described the decision as a brilliant idea that would 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.
He said that his administration would establish three modular refineries in each of the three senatorial zones in the state. This translates to nine modular refineries to be sited in the state.
A statement on Tuesday by his Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Iworiso-Markson, said governor Dickson made the commendation on sidelines of the ongoing Oil and Gas Trade Conference in Houston, Texas, United States of America.
The governor had gone to the conference with Senator Foster Ogola, Fred Agbedi who is Chairman House Committee on Gas, Henry Ofongu, Secretary to the State Government, Serena Dokubo-Spiff, Commissioner for Investment, Trade, Commerce and Industries, Kemela Okara, Chief Economic Adviser, Duate Iyabe, Special Adviser on Investment, Cyril Akika and other top aides.
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 were established and up and running.
The governor said Bayelsa being the home of oil and gas in Nigeria, provided 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 was strategic, noting that it afforded the government the opportunity to meet and leverage with prospective investors on various opportunities provided by his government.
Dickson who reiterated that already Bayelsa State had 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 in each of the senatorial zones, translating to nine, 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 added.
