Expert Makes Case For Oil Bearing Communities

An expert in the Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) sector and Vice Chairman of the Nigeria Association of LPG Marketers (NALGAM) in Rivers State, Chief Ogbonna  Sam Okoro, has urged the federal and state governments to  direct the allocation accruing to the oil producing states for the development of the local communities that bear the brunts  of ecological disasters from gas flare and oil pollution.
Okoro gave the charge while speaking with The Tide in an interview in his office in Port Harcourt, recently.
He said, “local stakeholders were slighted in oil policies, they didn’t participate in the contract agreements, and as such their stake was glossed over. The only way to make up is to use the oil and gas allocation funds for the direct development of the oil bearing communities.”
The expert called for the repositioning of institutions in charge of the Nigeria oil and gas sector, like the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and others, and make corrupt officials to face the book.
He pointed out that, “coal was once an export product but today we have a cleaner energy, from oil to gas and now shell gas”.
He said the policy on penetration and utilisation of gas at the rural communities would not yield  desired result if they were not properly mobilised with investment capital to play productive role in the policy.
He said the disposal income in the hands of Nigerians was so depleted and dismal for them to access the products, and urged the relevant agencies and other stakeholders to encourage women at the grassroots to form cooperatives, while loans should be provided for them to own small surface tanks to boost economic activities at the grassroot.
Okoro, who was a member of the CONTEAM that constructed the Nigeria Liquefied Natural  Gas (NLNG) Plant in Bonny, called for stronger collaboration between DPR ,NLNG and other critical stakeholders in the LPG sector for technical support services and proper reach to the target users.
Chief Okoro also expressed concern over the politicisation of issues requiring expertise, noting that the country can only be on the right track of economic development when institutions are strengthened and critical stakeholders are given the opportunities to make inputs on national planning and development.

Taneh Beemene