Imo State Gas Deposits To Transform South East, Host Community’s…. Commissioner Mgbudom
Anselem Gozie Anokwute
The Commissioner for Petroleum and Natural Gas Development Imo State Chief Emeka Mgbudom Esq has reiterated in detail the actual facts, that Imo State vast Gas Deposits will transform the entire South East and the whole Ohaji Egbema Local Government Area hosts community inline with the governor Senator Hope Uzodimma’s visions.
In his recent address to the State on the important of the Gas deposit Chief Mgbudom Esq said that he is glad to serve the State as a Commissioner in this time wherein experience and pragmatism plays major role and expressed his appreciation to the governor Senator Hope Uzodimma.
In his explanation “I am glad that Imo people are asking questions with respect to the attendant benefits to the citizens regarding the natural gas deposit in the state.
It is important to get our facts right.
Imo does not have 70% of the gas deposit in Nigeria. Based on verified extractable reserve by the Nigerian Upstream Regulatory Commission, Imo accounts for slightly over 33% of proven reserves in Nigeria as new fields are being developed in other states.
We must understand that gas is a mineral resource and therefore under Section 44(3) of the constitution, the ownership is exclusively vested in the federal government for the common good and benefit of the citizens.
The strategic relevance of gas in the global energy space today needs not be emphasised. Gas, as a transition energy source serves as a bridge from high- carbon fossil fuels to low carbon renewable energy which helps to reduce green house emission. Gas, in other words, as an enabler of energy transition, makes an effective contribution to satisfying the energy trilemma, ie simultaneously ensuring energy sustainability, security and accessibility.
Senator Hope Uzodinma as the Governor of Imo, a state with significant natural gas reserves has worked more than any other Governor since 1979 to properly position Imo as a Gas State in Nigeria. As a sub-national government, his administration is engaging in relentless efforts to secure climate finance, build institutional capacity and align national policies with global climate goals for the benefit of our citizens.
The Governor has worked tirelessly to properly position not just . Imo State but the entire South East in the Nigeria Gas Master Plan.
He is attracting investments to defray Gas Infrastructure Deficit, combat Climate Change Impacts such as flooding, erosion and deforestation, engage in climate resilient agricultural projects and secure the interest of Imo State in our Nationally Determined Contributions with the support of the federal government.
He has engaged extensively with the federal government and the two major gas exploitation and production companies in Imo to ensure that their domestic gas obligations to our state are secured. Today, the Governor has secured feedstock that would power the Egbema Power Plant, our Industrial Parks, the Orashi River Port, the Special Energy Zone and fire the furnaces of several factories scattered all over the South East.
When Anoh Gas comes on stream this year upon completion of the OB3 Pipeline, our people would not need to go to Rivers State any more to procure LPG for cooking. Imo in the next one year will be the hub for CNG in the South East and possibly South South. The secured and proposed investments in that sector are staggering.
Thanks to the Governor, a fertiliser company would start soon in the Free Trade Zone as it would be close to the source of gas.
The Governor has gotten Shell to start work on the 17klm Umuapu- Obitti-Assa road. I was on that stretch of road last week with the House of Assembly Committee members on Oil & Gas, the SA to the Gov on Host Communities, the tech staff of the Ministry and the PG’s of the impacted communities along that axis to inspect the work that Zeroc and Raycon Construction Companies are doing for Shell. Shell would soon start work on the proposed 7 klm internal roads in Assa community. On the 24th of this month, Shell would commission an ultra-modern ICT and Tech Development Centre at FUTO as part of its CSR projects in Imo state. The company is building an ultra modern hospital in Assa and would soon start the civil works for its Tech-hub in the community.
Shell is currently installing a gas turbine from which it would generate 24 hrs electricity to all nearby communities.
Anoh Gas would complete the Assa- Ohuba- Obosima road before December. It has employed several hundreds of Imo citizens, trained a lot in skill acquisition, industrial technology and resource management.
These are as a result of the direct intervention of the Governor in spite of the companies’ statutory commitments to their host communities under the Petroleum Industry Act
The value chain of gas exploitation in Imo would be enormous. A Condensate Refinery is about being built near the Shell facility. The state would earn increased federal allocation, attract foreign direct investment in our Special Energy Zone and have our people meaningfully engaged in various economic activities. This is just the beginning.
Oando, WalterSmith, Seplat, Seepco are all eager to demonstrate good faith towards the welfare of our people through various CSR projects. I can say without any fear of contradiction that the Gov is working hard to leverage the abundance of natural gas deposit in Imo to secure every possible advantage for the entire South East.
Chief Emeka Mgbudom Esq.
Commissioner for Petroleum and Natural Gas Development, Imo State. Stated.
