Mkpoikana Udoma
31 March 2018, Sweetcrude, Port Harcourt — Worried by epileptic power supply to the free zone, the Chairman, Governing Council of the Oil and Gas Free Zones Authority, Chief Timipre Sylva, says investors have been engaged to build a turbine that will provide power for the free zone before the end of 2018.
Sylva, who is a former governor of Bayelsa State, made this known in a media chat after the inaugural meeting of the board of the agency at the Oil and Gas Free Zone in Onne, Rivers State.
He also commended the Managing Director of OGFZA, Mr. Umana Okon Umana, for demonstrating the right leadership in directing the affairs of the free zone regulator and in administering the oil and gas free zones under his control.
Observing that the governing board had little time in the face of so much to do, Chief Sylva said the situation called for hard work and firm prioritization in project execution.
According to him, “One of the things we would like to achieve is to be able to provide power in Onne.
“We are engaging a group of investors that will build a turbine for the free zone; that would be one of the things we would like to achieve before the end of the year.”
While outlining the vision and agenda for the new board, the OGFZA Chairman said efforts to improve the revenue position of the agency through effective IGR strategy would receive equal priority attention.
Sylva added that his board would also do all that is necessary to resolve issues of conflict between the Nigeria Export Processing Authority, NEPZA, and OGFZA.
He said one of the board’s priority projects would be to accelerate the take-off of the Brass Oil and Gas City.
“The BOG City was approved and licensed as a free zone a long time ago. We have to make sure that Brass Oil and Gas City becomes operational as soon as possible,” Sylva said.
