Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain and former Delta State gubernatorial aspirant, Chief Sunny Onuesoke has solicited the award of contract for the maintenance and operation of Warri refinery to oil and gas investors of Niger Delta indigenes.
Onuesoke solicitation is coming on the heels of the recent Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) public notice seeking Operations and Maintenance (O&M) companies to bid for the Warri and Kaduna refineries.
In a public notice on its official X handle, the national oil company which outlined the qualifications of companies interested in bidding for the contracts stated that the move will help ensure reliability and energy security for the country.
Reacting to the public notice while responding to questions from Energy Corresponding on the sideline during an oil and gas meeting in Lagos, the PDP Chieftain disclosed that if there is any consideration for an investor to manage and operate the Warri refinery, Niger Delta oil and gas investors should be giving both the first and second right of response and third right of choice before considering operators from any other region in country or overseas.
“If there is any consideration at all, Niger Delta investors in oil and gas should be given the first right of response, second right of response, and third right of choice before considering operators from any other region of the country or overseas. They should give priority to Niger Delta investors who are into the oil and gas sector because we have more capable men to handle the situation than any region in this country,” he stated.
He stated that his request is tenable because giving the offer to Niger Delta indigenes will reduce the cost of operation hence the investor will be close to the location of operation and equally has a close interface with what is happening.
“I am saying because it will reduce the cost of operation hence the investor will be close to the location of operation and have close interface with what is happening,” he stressed.
The former Delta State Gubernatorial aspirant who requested the search for a private operator demanded that the same thing should be done with the Kaduna refinery by appointing Northern investors.
He said it is better for investors residing in the area where the refinery is located than bringing a foreigner to manage it.
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