Olu of Warri tasks Buhari on abandoned $20b Ogidigben park, Warri Ports
VANGUARD
…urges FG to open up ports facilities in Eastern corridor
By Johnbosco Agbakwuru
ABUJA – THE Olu of Warri, His Majesty Ogiamen Ikenwoli, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to revive the $20 billion Ogidigben Gas Revolution Industrial Park.
The Warri monarch who met with President Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Wednesday also urged the Federal Government to open up ports facilities in the Southern and Eastern corridors to help decongest the Lagos Ports which has grounded economic activities in Lagos.
Recall that the former President Goodluck Jonathan had inaugurated the $20 billion Ogidigben Gas Revolution Industrial Park .Grip, projected to generate 250,000 direct and indirect jobs.
The Warri Monarch stated that efforts by former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kachikwu to attract developers has collapsed after a consortium had pooled over $10 billion for the project
According to him, “If the project and the ports in the Southern parts of the country are revived, the issue of unemployment, kidnapping and insecurity will be a thing of the past.
“The over 2,700 hectares park is designed for fertilizer, methanol, petrochemicals, and aluminium plants.”
The Olu of Warri who led traditional rulers from Delta state on a visit to the President, said they were at the Presidential Villa to congratulate the President on his February 23 Presidential election victory and as a sign of solidarity with the President.
Speaking on the ports in the Southern parts of the country that are lying idle, he said that the Ports located at Warri, Sapele, Burutu, Onitsha and Calabar had served as a major source of job creation and social stabilization.
He said, ” We are talking of how to create jobs. We all know that issues of youths restiveness, crimes and kidnapping were at their minimal levels when these ports were operational”
The royal father disclosed that the visit also offered him an opportunity to share his thoughts with the President on the current security challenges, adding, “we will continue to assist in our domain counsel our youths.”