Gov Diri applauds proposed Oloibiri oil museum in Bayelsa

Gov Douye Diri of Bayelsa has called on the Federal Government and oil firms to invest more in the building of critical infrastructure in Bayelsa for its pioneering role in the oil sector.

A statement issued by Mr Kola Oredipe, Director, New Media to Bayelsa Governor on Thursday quoted Diri as making the call during a virtual meeting for an Oil and Gas Museum and Research Center in Oloibiri district in Ogbia Local Government Area.

He said the call became imperative in order to give back to the Otuabagi/Otuogidi communities making up the Oloibiri oil field where crude oil was first discovered in commercial quantities in 1956.

Diri, welcomed the project from the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources supported by four key institutions; Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF), Shell and the Bayelsa Government.

The governor noted that the oil bearing communities deserve better infrastructure to compensate for the long years of neglect amidst the adverse effects of oil and gas exploration and production actemotions there.

“We receive this day with a tinge of mixed emotions.

“This is because, naturally, the people of Bayelsa State as guardians and holders of the primary source of wealth of our entire nation are deserving not only of recognition but also of all the dividends that ought to flow from this special status.

“I therefore, appeal that the Federal Government to throw its full weight behind all processes required to bring much needed development to Bayelsa State including the initiation and completion of other necessary developmental projects across the State.

“For instance, the road from Nembe to Brass is critical to us and should be given urgent consideration by the Federal Government and the Oil Multinationals operating there.

“The Nigerian Agip Oil Company has been operating on that Island for many years now”, Oredipe quoted Diri as saying.

Diri thanked President Muhammadu Buhari, Minister of State Petroleum, Chief Timipre Sylva and other partners in the Oil and Gas Museum and Research Center, for kick starting the project.

He assured that the state government would support the project by providing an enabling environment for its success and sustenance.

“In addition, Oloibiri deserves to be a National Heritage Site. We will therefore implore your Excellency, Mr. President to give effect to this consideration and expedite it by all lawful means possible.

“This initiative, is indeed the fulfilment of a longstanding quest to preserve the history of petroleum exploration and its impact in the Niger Delta, and by extension in Nigeria and the world in general. It is heartwarming that this vision is now coming to fruition.

“The choice of Oloibiri as the location of the museum and research center is quite apt and commendable. It couldn’t have been anywhere else” Diri said.

The Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Chief Sylva, who inaugurated the key project committees also announced delivery timelines for the project execution.

Sylva noted that the project would be fast-tracked, with pre-construction activities lasting eight months while actual construction should be completed within 36 months from the date of commencement.

The project secretariat is domiciled within the NCDMB Head Office in Yenagoa.

The PTDF will contribute 40 per cent while NCDMB and SPDC would provide 30 percent and 20 percent cost respectively, just as Bayelsa State Government will provide the balance of 10 percent.