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| President Goodluck Jonathan |
President Goodluck Jonathan has directed that a US$500 million oil and gas
investment project be relocated from LADOL Free Trade Zone (FTZ) in
Lagos to Agga in Bayelsa State, The Nation learnt yesterday.
The project is a partnership between
LADOL Integrated Logistics Enterprise and Samsung Heavy Industries, Korea.
The two companies are to build
fabrication and integration yards for Egina Floating Production Storage and Offloading
(FPSO) facility for the use of local and foreign-owned oil companies.
The multi-million dollar project is
in phases, and billed to be completed in the next five years.
The project is said to have reached
an “advanced stage” before Jonathan issued a directive that it should be
relocated.
The Nation report continues:
The directive, contained in two
letters dated April 27, was signed by Mr A.B Mohammed, a general manager with
the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).
Mohammed signed the letters on
behalf of the NPA Managing Director, Sanusi Ado Bayero, who is believed to be a
stakeholder in Intel, an oil and gas logistics firm in Rivers State– an
allegation he has denied in newspaper advertorials.
The letters read: “Pleased be
informed that Mr President has vide PRES/99/MT/2/22 of April 20 approved the
FPSO project be relocated to Agga in Bayelsa State when the facilities to
handle such operations are developed.
“In addition, the project can be
conveniently located at any designated oil and gas terminal. Please be informed
that Mr President has approved, henceforth, all oil and gas related cargoes
must be handled only in the designated terminals in Onne, Warri and
Calabar Ports.
The letters added: “In view of this, vessels coming to Nigeria with oil
and gas related cargoes, excluding petroleum products, are advised to first go
to the appropriate concessioned terminals to be cleared by Customs and other
relevant authorities, terminal operators and shipping firms.”
The Managing Director, LADOL
Integrated Logistics Enterprise, Dr Amy Jayesinmi, said the timing of the
letters was wrong.
She said the directive was
ill-conceived, and capable of destroying the gains made by the partners in the
project.
She said the directive to relocate
the project to Bayelsa was part of efforts to destroy the potential local
operators who are bent on deepening their participation in the oil and gas
sector.
She said the letter was diversionary
in content, advising stakeholders not to allow their attention to be
distracted.
Mrs. Jayesinmi said efforts were
being made by oil and gas operators to build one of the biggest floating
vessels in the world, as well as making Nigeria the oil and gas hub in
West Africa, adding that nothing would frustrate that efforts.
She added: “We got the two letters
the same day: a day after the appointment of the new MD of NPA. I want to make
it clear that we (LADOL) do not have problems with NPA because they are using
our facility.
“NPA has an office in LADOL Free Trade Zone. NPA
had severally said LADOL is the largest private investor in its facility. By
the end of 2017, LADOL would have invested US$500million in NPA facility.
Technically, it is not appropriate for the project to be relocated to Bayelsa,
the President’s home state.’’
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