By EMMA ARUBI

WARRI- GOVERNOR Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State has stated that the success story of the multi-billion naira Escravos-Gas-to-Liquid, EGTL, project in Warri South-West council area of Delta State should serve as impetus to attract investors to the state.

He said that in spite of misgivings expressed by stakeholders in the beginning, the project is now near completion.

The Governor who revealed that the secret to the success of the projects is the regular town hall meetings with host communities, youths and elders together with genuine partnership with relevant stakeholders like Chevron, Intels, Nigerian Ports Authority, and many others wherein pro-active actions were taken.

He stated that the EGTL projects has empowered many people from the area, even as it has also empowered countless youths and women through employment and engagement in both major and minor contracts job execution.

Governor Uduaghan spoke during the celebration of Warri Port re-vitalisation through NPA/EGTL partnership organised by Chevron Nigeria Limited at the Intels Machine Workshop, NPA Port, Warri, Delta State.

He stated that the project was kick started at the peak of the Ijaw/Itsekiri war, termed “Warri Crisis” maintained that he took grave personal risks to ensure the commencement of the project which has now put the Warri Port as second only to the Apapa Port today in the country.

He said: “EGTL success should serve as incentive to attract other investors to the state because it succeeded at last in spite of all the security challenges of that period.

Earlier in his remarks, the EGTL project manager, Mr. Mick Kraly who described the project as a “complex, mega project taking its place on the world stage in the oil and gas industry is a major engineering and project execution success utilising emerging technology and sited at the right place in the heart of the Niger Delta”.

“We are here today to recognise and celebrate the role of the NPA Delta Port at Warri and the public/private partnership that supports the port in enabling EGTL to execute at world class standards”.

In their goodwill message on the occasion, Chairman of Intels, Mr. G. Volpi, said it was a moment of honour and pride to them having maintained their presence on ground in Warri even when operations were at their lowest ebb because of the Warri crisis for their avowed commitment to the development of the region and strong belief in Nigeria and Nigerians.

According to him, Intels has impacted positively on the larger communities and the previously literarily abandoned ports infrastructures have been revitalized and given a new lease of life.