By Miriam Humbe
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Amb. Nicholas Agbo Ella; has charged the Experts in Hydrocarbons to make Nigeria proud by putting their bests into technical session of the 8th National Council on Hydrocarbons.
Amb. Ella said this on Tuesday at the opening ceremony of the tech ical session of the 8th National Council on Hydrocarbons held in Asaba, Delta State.
Chris Ugwuegbulam, the Assistant Director, Information and Public Relations in the Ministry disclosed this in a statement.
The Perm Sec was represented by the Director of Upstream Department of the Ministry, Engr. Kamoru Busari.
The Perm Sec emphasized that the meeting had come to stay as the Ministry’s flagship event aimed at garnering ideas that would propel good policy formulation in the Oil and Gas Sector.
Ambassador Ella described the theme of the National Council: “The Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021: The Journey so far ” as well thought out and apt for the moment.
He emphasised that Nigeria’s economy to a large extent depended on the revenue generated from Hydrocarbons, as such successive governments tended to pay much attention to the Oil and Gas with the aim of realising the numerous benefits inherent in it for developing and diversifying the economy.
“Amb Ella said: The Ministry of Petroleum Resources was created with a mandate to formulate policies, supervise their implementation and regulate the Nigerian Oil and Gas (Energy) Industry.
“The Mission of my Ministry therefore was to deliver a thriving Oil and Gas (Energy) Industry for Nigeria.
“The mandate and mission of this Ministry can only be achieved when good and implementable policies are formulated and implemented to the letter.
“This to me, was the principal reason we convocated annually for this Council.”
He said that the Federal Government, realising the dangers inherent in over dependence on oil revenue, which for some years had been volatile and causing disruption in the implementation of the national budget, decided to through the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, tap into Gas Potentials of Nigeria with a view to optimize the Gas Value Chain.
Ella asked the Experts to bear in mind that suggestions and recommendations from the gathering will directly or indirectly affect people from the oil and gas sector, communities, Ministries, Agencies and the Nation at large.
The Commissioner, Delta State Ministry of Oil and Gas, Peter Okagbare Uviejitobor said that Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021 marked a landmark achievement in Nigeria’s quest for a transparent, efficient, and environmentally conscious Oil and Gas Sector.
He said: “This regulation does not only seek to reform our industry but also aimed at creating a conducive environment for investment, enhance frameworks, and promote local content development amidst ensuring that the host communities are accorded their right of place in the sector.
“That was why its passage was greeted with so much celebration”.
The Commissioner therefore encouraged every participant, especially members of constituted Host Development Trusts and Oil Companies to actively defend their memoranda, contribute to the conversations, share their experiences and propose innovative solutions that will shape the future of the industry.
The National Chairman of Oil and Gas Host Communities, Dr. Mike Emuh commended Ministry of Petroleum Resources for extending invitation for the first time to the Executives of the Oil and Gas Host Communities to participate at the National Council on Hydrocarbons.
He said that the Host Communities were creating enabling environment for the Oil and Gas Companies as well as other critical Stakeholders to operate and encouraged the Federal Government to stop the delay in the implementation of PIA because the effects of its non implementation on the Host Communities are quite enormous.
Participants were drawn from various Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), the Military, Para – Military, Academia, Petroleum Training Institute (PTI) and other critical stakeholders in the Oil and Gas Sector.
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