Oloibiri Oil and Gas

Oloibiri Oil and Gas Museum: Ethel Diete-Spiff’s undying obsession

Oloibiri Oil and Gas Museum: Ethel Diete-Spiff’s undying obsession

Despite the passage of time and the change in government, her desire to see the emergence of an imposing architectural masterpiece with the inscription “Oloibiri Oil and Gas Museum” remains very strong. The idea of the project, which she conceived in the early 70’s when she was the Chairman of the old Rivers State Tourism Board, rages on her mind like a timeless mirage. As it is, Mrs. Ethel Diete-Spiff, who is now retired from active service, sleeps and wakes up with the mental picture of the multi-purpose centre, which she conceived in her hey days to serve as a reference point for oil and gas production in Nigeria. As a young lady married to a serving military governor, she was bubbling with trail-blazing ideas that could fetch Nigeria a fortune, if they had been harnessed into concrete ventures. One that really hit her on her mid rib like a hurricane was that of developing a World Class Oil and Gas Museum complete with research, recreational, cultural, social and economic empowerment facilities for the teeming population in the country. The idea was so clear on her mind that she wasted no time in reaching out to the then President, Alhaji Shehu Shagari and his Vice, Alex Ekweme, one of the country’s best architects to share the vision with the two leaders.