By Esther Egbe
Salient Times Newspaper learnt that Ayo Akinfe, Chairman, Central Association of Nigerians in the UK (Canuk) revealed that
Niger Delta governors should consider floating a Niger Delta Petroleum Company to bid for oil blocks.
Maybe create a holding company called Jaja of Opobo PLC and make it a multi-faceted petroleum and manufacturing concern.
Ayo explained that nothing is stopping Jaja of Opobo PLC building a massive refinery in somewhere like Yenagoa, Bonny, Uyo, Asaba or Calabar as Aliko Dangote has just done in Lekki. This refinery should come with West Africa’s biggest sea port
Akinfe explained that this regional company Jaja of Opobo PLC should be buying stakes in oil companies like Shell, Total, Agip, Mobil, etc with the aim to become a majority shareholder in one or two of these companies
In addition, this company should open a network of petrol stations across the country, which are owned and run by the six states, generating revenue for them
It is inexplicable that our oil-producing governors have not begun building the world’s largest petrochemical company in the Niger Delta. Just imagine the billions they would make from exporting finished synthetic products
Like AA Chanchangi or Dangote, this holding company should also purchase a network of tankers that would give them control of petrol distribution across the country
He added that is there anything stopping these six Governors from building three or four gas-fired power plants to generate electricity for nationwide and regional distribution?
Bonny Island is almost identical to Lagos Island, yet in Lagos, there are three bridges linking the island with mainland Nigeria. These governors need to build at least two bridges and one tunnel, with a rail link, connecting Bonny with mainland Nigeria
No law prevents the six states of the Niger delta from buying oil blocks which the likes of TY Danjuma currently own in the Niger Delta. This holding company Jaja of Opobo PLC should be the largest owner of oil blocks in the Niger Delta
These governors should also float a Petroleum Bank to provide capital for local investors wishing to enter into the oil industry. Our lack of imagination as a people really irks me sometimes. We keep waiting for Abuja to do everything for us and when that fails, everything grinds to a full stop.
