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… As Diri Urges NAOC, Other Multinationals to Relocate to N’Delta
By Amos Odeh, Yenagoa
Nigerian president, Muhammadu Buhari, Thursday commissioned the headquarters building of the Nigeria Content, Development and Monitoring Board, NCDMB, and a 10 megawatts power plant the board built in partnership with the Nigerian Agip oil company, NAOC, in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital.
Buhari who participated in the event held virtually, directed the minister of state, Petroleum, Chief Timipre Sylva, to stand in for him at the physical commissioning.
He said he was delighted to finish projects initiated by previous governments, noting that government is a continuum.
“I’m delighted to join you virtually to commission the 17-storey edifice built to serve as headquarters of the Nigeria content board”, he said.
“We all know that poverty knows no tribe or region. We must therefore strive to make policies and work out programmes that will put food on the table of every Nigerian”, he added.
“I’m particularly pleased that we’re finishing projects started by previous governments”, the President noted.
Also speaking, Bayelsa State governor, Senator Douye Diri, commended president Buhari for the timely completion of the project, noting that it is a proof of government’s willingness to develop the Niger Delta region.
Governor Diri applauded the management of the Content board for judiciously using funds provided for the execution of projects that would have impact on the lives of the people of the Niger Delta and Nigerians in general, as he called on the Nigerian Agip oil company, NAOC to relocate its headquarters to the state, adding that the multinational has most of its operations in the state.
“I want to seize this opportunity to call on NAOC to relocate its headquarters to Yenagoa. It does most of its operations here in Bayelsa State. This will minimise some of the agitations in the Niger Delta region”, he said.
Meanwhile, former governor of Bayelsa State and minister of state for petroleum, Chief Timipre Sylva, said he was emotional being part of the finishing story of the NCDMB building.
Sylva noted that it was during his tenure as governor of the state that he allocated the plots of land for the building of the headquarters of the Content board.
He commended President Buhari for giving him the privilege to serve in the Federal Executive council as minister of state for petroleum, which has in turn given him the opportunity of being part of the completion story of the project.
“I’m a bit emotional now. It was during my time as governor of this state that I allocated these plots of land for the building of the headquarters of the Nigeria Content board”, Sylva said.
“But very unfortunate, I thought I won’t be part of the completion story again. It was God’s grace and the grace of President Buhari that I’m today again being part of the finishing story of this building”, he stated.
In same vein, the executive secretary of the NCDMB, Eng. Simbi Wabote, has reassured Nigerians that the Content board was poised to develop Nigerian content in the oil and gas industry through deliberate recruitment and award of its contracts and jobs to qualified Nigerian manpower.
Wabote restated their desire to implement the local content policies of the Federal Government to the letter, adding that through this, employment would be created and insecurity problems would be cushioned.
