THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SHOULD RELOCATE DPR AND NAPIMS HEADQUARTERS TO WARRI DELTA STATE WHERE THE OIL AND GAS BUSINESS ARE PREDOMINANT
November 14, 2020 | News
With reports that there is an ongoing move by the Federal Government and its relevant Authorities in the Oil and Gas Sector to relocate the Headquarters of the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) from Lagos to Abuja,
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SHOULD RELOCATE DPR AND NAPIMS HEADQUARTERS TO WARRI DELTA STATE WHERE THE OIL AND GAS BUSINESS ARE PREDOMINANT
With reports that there is an ongoing move by the Federal Government and its relevant Authorities in the Oil and Gas Sector to relocate the Headquarters of the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) from Lagos to Abuja, I consider it necessary to reiterate the fact that, the Federal Government should exercise caution when taking such sensitive move that has the propensity to further heat-up the apprehensive atmosphere in the Niger Delta region. But instead, the Federal Government and its relevant Authorities concerned, should, as a matter of urgency and utmost importance, relocate both the Headquarters of both the DPR as well as the National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS), to the Oil city of Warri in Delta State, which is where the crude oil and natural gas are being explored, produced and exported through the Forcados Export Terminal and Excravos Export Terminals, all in Delta State.
It is a well-known fact that the oil and gas business operations are predominantly situated/taking place in Delta State. As such, there is no reason for the Headquarters of these two offices stated to be in Lagos and Abuja. More so, there are existing many numbers of Offices and Residential Accommodations that were vacated by Shell (SPDC) in Warri when they divested and left Delta State. As such, what stops the DPR AND NAPIMS from making use of these empty and forgotten Office Buildings and Accommodations for their Headquarters and Operational outlets in Warri?
Besides, it is common economic sense to have companies located closely to where their primary operational activities are predominantly situated. This is the standard global practice, especially in the extractive industry. Today, all the oil and gas companies operating in the US are majorly located in Houston Texas and Louisiana, and not in Austin, the state capital of Texas, or New York (which is like the Lagos of Nigeria), and Washington DC (which is also like the Abuja of Nigeria). All oil companies in Canada are located today in Calgary and not in Edmonton, the capital city of Alberta province, Toronto and Ottawa, the capital city of Canada.
This is what is obtainable in other well-developed climes. When then, will Nigerian Presidents rule the country without partiality and without tribal sentiments when it comes to the location of industries across the country? When will Nigerian leaders at all levels govern the people they were supposedly elected/appointed to govern, in a transparent manner and for the good of the people without bias?
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo relocated the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) Head Office during his time in Office, from Abuja to Lagos. But he did not think it necessary too to relocate the NNPC Headquarters and its Subsidiaries Head Offices to Delta State and River State. Former President Goodluck Jonathan relocated the Nigerian Content Development & Monitoring Board (NCDMB) to Bayelsa his home State. Jonathan also built the only Nigerian Law School meant to serve the South-South in Bayelsa, his homestate. Whereas, Warri town and environs have produced some of the best lawyers in the country like Mudiaga-Odje, D.D Mowoe, Ayo Irikefe, Ovie Whiskey and many other notable lawyers. All these lawyers upon graduation in the United Kingdom (UK), returned to Warri in Nigeria and practiced law. But when it was time to establish law school in the South-South of Nigeria, Goodluck Jonathan took it to Yenegoa Bayelsa his home State. That is the problem with Nigerian leaders. As of today, nobody wants to go to Yenegoa for the compulsory Law School because it was wrongly established for tribal reasons, and not to serve the entire South-South areas.
If the above stated advanced countries located their Oil and Gas Operators Headquarters in the cities where their operational activities are predominant, why can't we have same in Nigeria? If former President Olusegun Obasanjo had relocated the NPA Head Office from Abuja to Lagos, and donated the Abuja NPA building known as the "Ship House" to the Nigerian Defence, because he believes that the NPA has no business being in Abuja since it has no sea ports, unlike Lagos; why did he and the Federal Governments after him not relocate the Headquarters of the NNPC and its Subsidiaries like the DPR and NAPIMS to places like Delta and Rivers State? Why has the present Federal Government not back their words with action by being the leading example with the NNPC, in their directive that was made some years ago, that IOCs should relocate to the Niger Delta States? They don't need a decree or any law for the NNPC, NNPC Subsidiaries, IOCs and indigenous oil and gas companies to have all their Headquarters be relocated to the Niger Delta region.
No country can develop on ‘tribal sentiments’, hence it is about time we do away with it in Nigeria when it comes to doing what is right to benefit all, rather than some selected few. We ask that the above subject be given the needed attention as suggested. I know that even if such move to relocate the DPR and NAPIMS to the Niger Delta area were to be implemented, the present Minister of State in the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources will want to relocate the DPR and NAPIMS to Yenegoa his home State. But when will the Nigerian politicians stop all these their tribal sentiments on political appointments and establishments of Federal and State Government companies at the appropriate place?
Zik Gbemre.
November 14, 2020.
We Mobilize Others To Fight For Individual Causes As If Those Were Our Causes
With reports that there is an ongoing move by the Federal Government and its relevant Authorities in the Oil and Gas Sector to relocate the Headquarters of the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) from Lagos to Abuja, I consider it necessary to reiterate the fact that, the Federal Government should exercise caution when taking such sensitive move that has the propensity to further heat-up the apprehensive atmosphere in the Niger Delta region. But instead, the Federal Government and its relevant Authorities concerned, should, as a matter of urgency and utmost importance, relocate both the Headquarters of both the DPR as well as the National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS), to the Oil city of Warri in Delta State, which is where the crude oil and natural gas are being explored, produced and exported through the Forcados Export Terminal and Excravos Export Terminals, all in Delta State.
It is a well-known fact that the oil and gas business operations are predominantly situated/taking place in Delta State. As such, there is no reason for the Headquarters of these two offices stated to be in Lagos and Abuja. More so, there are existing many numbers of Offices and Residential Accommodations that were vacated by Shell (SPDC) in Warri when they divested and left Delta State. As such, what stops the DPR AND NAPIMS from making use of these empty and forgotten Office Buildings and Accommodations for their Headquarters and Operational outlets in Warri?
Besides, it is common economic sense to have companies located closely to where their primary operational activities are predominantly situated. This is the standard global practice, especially in the extractive industry. Today, all the oil and gas companies operating in the US are majorly located in Houston Texas and Louisiana, and not in Austin, the state capital of Texas, or New York (which is like the Lagos of Nigeria), and Washington DC (which is also like the Abuja of Nigeria). All oil companies in Canada are located today in Calgary and not in Edmonton, the capital city of Alberta province, Toronto and Ottawa, the capital city of Canada.
This is what is obtainable in other well-developed climes. When then, will Nigerian Presidents rule the country without partiality and without tribal sentiments when it comes to the location of industries across the country? When will Nigerian leaders at all levels govern the people they were supposedly elected/appointed to govern, in a transparent manner and for the good of the people without bias?
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo relocated the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) Head Office during his time in Office, from Abuja to Lagos. But he did not think it necessary too to relocate the NNPC Headquarters and its Subsidiaries Head Offices to Delta State and River State. Former President Goodluck Jonathan relocated the Nigerian Content Development & Monitoring Board (NCDMB) to Bayelsa his home State. Jonathan also built the only Nigerian Law School meant to serve the South-South in Bayelsa, his homestate. Whereas, Warri town and environs have produced some of the best lawyers in the country like Mudiaga-Odje, D.D Mowoe, Ayo Irikefe, Ovie Whiskey and many other notable lawyers. All these lawyers upon graduation in the United Kingdom (UK), returned to Warri in Nigeria and practiced law. But when it was time to establish law school in the South-South of Nigeria, Goodluck Jonathan took it to Yenegoa Bayelsa his home State. That is the problem with Nigerian leaders. As of today, nobody wants to go to Yenegoa for the compulsory Law School because it was wrongly established for tribal reasons, and not to serve the entire South-South areas.
If the above stated advanced countries located their Oil and Gas Operators Headquarters in the cities where their operational activities are predominant, why can't we have same in Nigeria? If former President Olusegun Obasanjo had relocated the NPA Head Office from Abuja to Lagos, and donated the Abuja NPA building known as the "Ship House" to the Nigerian Defence, because he believes that the NPA has no business being in Abuja since it has no sea ports, unlike Lagos; why did he and the Federal Governments after him not relocate the Headquarters of the NNPC and its Subsidiaries like the DPR and NAPIMS to places like Delta and Rivers State? Why has the present Federal Government not back their words with action by being the leading example with the NNPC, in their directive that was made some years ago, that IOCs should relocate to the Niger Delta States? They don't need a decree or any law for the NNPC, NNPC Subsidiaries, IOCs and indigenous oil and gas companies to have all their Headquarters be relocated to the Niger Delta region.
No country can develop on ‘tribal sentiments’, hence it is about time we do away with it in Nigeria when it comes to doing what is right to benefit all, rather than some selected few. We ask that the above subject be given the needed attention as suggested. I know that even if such move to relocate the DPR and NAPIMS to the Niger Delta area were to be implemented, the present Minister of State in the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources will want to relocate the DPR and NAPIMS to Yenegoa his home State. But when will the Nigerian politicians stop all these their tribal sentiments on political appointments and establishments of Federal and State Government companies at the appropriate place?
Zik Gbemre.
November 14, 2020.
We Mobilize Others To Fight For Individual Causes As If Those Were Our Causes