Gov. Douye Diri of Bayelsa has promised to ensure the Oil and Gas Equipment and Machinery Development Institute (OGEMDI) has a successful take-off.
Diri gave his word while receiving officials of the National Agency for Science Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) on a courtesy visit to the Government House, Yenagoa, on Wednesday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the team was led by the Research Director, NASENI, Dr Samuel Olusunle.
The governor, who commended President Bola Tinubu for siting OGEMDI in Bayelsa, said the institute would promote research and technological advancement in the oil and gas industry.
He observed that although the establishment of the institute was coming a bit late, the gesture would give Bayelsa a sense of belonging as the cradle of crude oil production in the country.
Diri, represented by his deputy, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, assured that the state government was ready to do everything within its reach to ensure the take-off of the establishment in no distant time.
He also urged the agency to work closely with his administration to ensure the fruition of the institute for the benefit of Bayelsa, the Niger Delta and the country in general.
“Clearly, as a people, we have always had this impression that the Federal Government has not been fair to us all this while.
“This is one institution that we think is coming a little bit late to us but it is better to be late than never.
“We believe that this is going to be a very big leap in terms of trying to jump-start our forage into our technological breakthrough in terms of contributing technologically towards our sustenance of the oil and gas sector.
“We, really, want to see how you can quickly run with this project.
“It is quite elating that you have come to inspect the site for the project so that we can have the dividends of this institution,” he said.
Meanwhile, Olusunle explained that his team was in Bayelsa to inspect the temporary structures and location donated by the state government to facilitate the take-off of the oil and gas institute.
He appealed to the governor to provide them with the Certificate of Occupancy and other relevant documents to the land donated for the permanent site of the institute.
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“We have been asked to come here by our Executive Vice-Chairman to see the preparedness of the state having received your letter recently.
“Two things stand out here: We want to see where we can take off initially.
“We also want to see where we will be in the next few months or years because I believe the places already earmarked for us will meet our standards,” he said. (NAN)
