Emma Amaize

POPULAR  Niger Delta activist and entrepreneur, Chief Ayirimi Emami, yesterday, slammed the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, for allegedly abandoning the multi-billion dollar Gas Revolution Industrial Park, GRIP, Ogidigbe,n and Escravos Environs Power Supply Projects, both in Warri-South-West Local Government Area, Delta State, saying it was inflaming the bombing and vandalization of crude and gas installations in the Niger Delta region by its action.

The Warri chief,    who claimed that the Group Managing Director, GMD,    of NNPC, Dr. Maikanti Baru, and members of his management team, have not    shown any interest in the GRIP and Escravos Environs Power Supply Project, expressed displeasure that despite the huge economic and job creation potentials of both projects, the NNPC GMD was yet to visit the project sites.

Chief Emami asserted: “The seeming disinterest of Dr. Baru towards the GRIP project, which will accommodate a major industrial gas hub and petrochemical, methanol as well as fertilizer plant with known capacity to create 150, 000 direct and indirect jobs at the construction stage, leaves much to be desired at a time when the country is experiencing recession vis a vis job losses.”

The Delta APC chieftain appealed to the National Assembly, especially the Senate, “to order the management of NNPC to take immediate steps for construction work to commence at the GRIP and Escravos Environs Power Supply Project, which is part of NGC ELPS System-a network that passes the host communities in the Escravos shore.”

While stating that the NNPC management may not have briefed President Muhammadu Buhari on the true position of both projects, Chief Emami noted that a Memorandum of Understanding MoU, was signed 10th  May 2012 between the Federal Government, NGC/NNPC, Chevron, Delta State government as well as Itsekiri and Ijaw host communities for the Escravos Environs Power Supply Project.

He lamented that for over three weeks, the people of Ugborodo protested against lack of electricity and shutdown Shell Petroleum Development Company, SPDC operations in Ogidigben because of the company’s inability to meet its obligations to contractors, as a result of vandalism.

The Itsekiri leader said that the power project would check vandalisation of gas lines if it comes on stream “because people of the benefiting communities will see themselves as stakeholders, create surveillance network to protect the project and ultimately, it will tackle illegal oil bunkering, pipeline vandalism, crude theft and sea piracy.”