Expert Urges Prompt Allocation Of Marginal Oil Fields

The Federal Government has been urged to quickly look into the allocation of the marginal fields if the aim of the amnesty programme for which government has invested in respect of training ex-militants abroad must be achieved.

Dr. Eddie Wikina, the Managing Director of Treasure Energy Resources Ltd who spoke in an interview with The Tide in Port Harcourt commended Governor Chibuike  Amaechi for the training he is giving the ex-militants abroad but wondered what they will do and where they will end up when they return to the country.

According to him, “We have about two or three years to prepare so that when our children and our youths come back from the trainings, they can be absorbed.

“We must build plants and basically the only resource we have in Rivers State is hydrocarbon that is crude oil. It is the main one we have that generates income and build the economy. So any industry has to be based on hydrocarbon. So you are talking about petrochemical complexes, fertilizer plants and refineries,” he stressed.

The oil and gas expert added that as a stakeholder, if TERL has access to these blocks, they will be ready to put together a framework to work with International partners and financier  to forestall a situation where these trained youths could not go back to militancy again.

Wikina appealed to the federal government to give consideration to indigenous companies in the Niger Delta like the Treasure Energy Resources Limited (TERL) in the next oil bid round.

TERL is one of the companies floated by the Rivers State government as part of plans to create revenue and avenue in income generation to support on-going development projects in the state.

Vivian-Peace Nwinaene