Niger Delta Groups commence enumeration of local
refineries ahead FG’s liberalization of modular refineries
Some groups in Niger Delta on Sunday commenced
enumeration of artisanal refineries and crude distillation camps ahead Federal
Government’s proposed liberalization of modular refineries.
The Vice President Prof Yemi Osinbajo had on February 14
during the ongoing tour of oil communities in the Niger Delta region announce the
policy of deploying modular refineries to drive economic development of the
region.
More than 200 operators of crude oil distillation camps
referred in local parlance in the creeks as ‘kpo Fire’ camps turned up for the
exercise.
Speaking at the event, Mr Pat Obiene, a Social Activist
who convened the sensitization exercise noted that it was a follow up to
federal government’s new policy directive to formalize the artisanal
refineries.
He said that three groups, Masses Congress, Bayelsa
Business Roundtable and Modular Refineries Business Association were
collaborating on the data collection exercise to determine the total capacity
of the local refineries.
“This is a follow up to pronouncement on thefederal
government’s desire to use modular refineries open up the Niger Delta and fast
track development, so we thought it wise to kick start this initiative.
“It is based on the idea that the society is built by the
cumulative efforts of ordinary people, we want to provide reliable and accurate
database that the government can rely for decision and planning purposes.
“We have designed the forms to classify the artisans into
Crude Point Owner, Loader, Cooker/Refiner and Dumpsite Owner to capture data on
number of workers, daily crude volume and daily turnover.
“The data collected would be processed and analysed
andused as a basis to determine to size and capacity of the proposed modular
refineries suitable for each location,” Obiene said.
Mr Olaitari Ikemike, President of Bayelsa Business
Roundtable, an affiliate of African Business Roundtable explained that the
initiative was aimed at networking and cross fertilization of ideas amongst
stakeholders.
“This is an effort to bring private sector people
together and work for the realization of the modular refinery concept, we need
to be a catalyst to bring local refinery operators together and ensure that our
peculiarities are factored in.
“The pronouncement of the federal government is laudable
and we have to support it and make it actualized,” Ikemike said.
Also Mrs Faith Wilkingson, a local manufacturer of lubricants
urged women involved in local refineries to embrace the emerging opportunity to
add value to the crude oil endowments of the region.
She noted that women were the backbone successful enterprises
as they were naturally endowed entrepreneurs.
Mr Roland Kiente, who operates a local refinery in
Peremabiri Community in Southern Ijaw Local Government in Bayelsa appealed for
further sensitization at the creeks to enable all operators to register.
“The policy to make artisanal refining legal is a dream come true for us and to guard against
this laudable gesture being hijacked by political jobbers, there is need for
further awareness in the creeks.
“Igbomatoru, Peremabiri remain the epicenter of local
refineries and some operators are apprehensive thinking that they will be
arrested if they come out,”Kiente said.
Also speaking, Mr Clever Oyabara, Chairman, Modular
Refineries Business Association in Bayelsa noted that modular refineries would
lay to rest the youth restiveness in the region.
“The policy will be a permanent solution to youth
restiveness because a 10,000 barrels per day capacity refinery can create more
than 5,000 direct and indirect jobs,”Oyabare said.
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