The 3rd Port Harcourt International Oil and Gas Conference and Exhibition held from 25th 27th September, 2012, at the Auditorium, Rivers State House of Assembly, may have come and gone, but the success and failure of this conference would be adjudged when the stake holders reconvene again in 2013.
Speaking with newsman at the end of the conference, Mr. Acho Ohochukwu, Managing Director of Northern Oil Field, commended the outcome of this year’s event. He noted that though the conference is still young, it was like the Offshore Technological Conference that takes place in Houston-Texas.
The Ikwerre indigene of Rivers State, expressed joy to have such conference in Port Harcourt since the state has been known to be the hub of Oil and Gas in Nigeria. He pointed out that the event was a conference of awareness of what Oil and Gas is all about.
Acho disclosed that Nigeria has the potentials in Oil and Gas industry and has afforded the opportunity to work in countries like Angola, the second highest producer of Oil per day and in Ghana.
He used the medium to affirm that Northern Oil Filed is currently building an Oil and Gas hub in Ghana that would carter for Liberia, Sierra Leone and Ivory Coast, where Nigerians with their wealth of experience are expected to build an environmental waste disposal system to take care of the poor waste Management of the Country.
Mr. Ohochukwu further applauded Nigerians in Sae Tome and Presippe where he acknowledged their high level stakes in the Country’s Joint Development Zone JDZ, unlike in Angola where he observed the Government policy as one that does not allow foreigners to rent an office for business, if not provided by government and also in leasing of equipment, even if the company has it.
He commended the Rivers State Government for her support and commitment to the course of the conference and called on the State Government to provide an enabling environment for investors in the state to consolidate on their investments.
He urged government to address the issue of miscreants that come to companies or project sites in the name of community boys, asking investors for money, which according to Acho, does not get to the host communities.
Acho stressed further that most of the youths preferred cash than to accept skills acquisition or scholarship offers, and called on the state government to assist in working out modalities for host communities to stand a chance of getting what is due for them, from those operating on their land.
Mr. Ohockukwu, however called on the media to play their part in sensitizing the people on what the Oil and Gas business is all about and also urged those that visited their exhibition stand at the just concluded conference and other Nigerians to take advantage of their Combilift series: C4500, C5000, C6000 and other machines that were exhibited or visit their offices at Trans-Amadi, Port Harcourt, Ghana and USA. ###
By Blaise Elumezie
