We will stop amendment of NLNG bill, says Wike

The Rivers State governor, Barrister Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, has declared that his administration would join forces with other governors of the zone to stop the amendment of Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Limited Bill.

Speaking during a courtesy visit by the management of the NLNG Limited, at the Government House, Port Harcourt, yesterday, Governor Wike said that the state government would mobilise the state’s representatives at the National Assembly to ensure that the NLNG Limited remained in good stead to continue with her operations.

He urged the Federal Government not to allow the amendment of the NLNG act to sail through at the National Assembly because of the negative multiplier effect it would have on the economy.

He pointed out that the people of the South-South geo-political zone always agitated for better investment of their resources in their respective communities because of the neglect they continue to suffer.

The governor who said that his administration would always defend the economy of the state and the South-South geo-political zone, also stated that agitations in the South-South had remained rife, because the authorities ignored the geo-political zone, even though the people produced the wealth that sustained the nation.

He said: “A big company like NLNG Limited generates funds for the country, yet the Bodo-Bonny bridge that will create access to Bonny has not been constructed.”

The governor regretted that the focus of the Federal Government was on the major ethnic groups, saying that because the Hausas and Igbos are involved in conflict, a national meeting has been called.

He said: “Anything that will affect the economy of Rivers State, we will always fight it. It is about Rivers State.”

The governor commended the management of the NLNG for offering to partner with the Federal Government to construct the all-important Bodo-Bonny Bridge.

“I thank you for the Bodo-Bonny bridge. I hope it is not political. I have always advocated for this important bridge. I thank the NLNG for telling the Federal Government that they are willing to put down money for the construction of the bridge,” the governor said.

On the response of the Federal Government to the situation in the South-South and the quit notice given to the Igbo in the Northern states, Governor Wike said: “When it is South-South, Nigeria never called a meeting. But because Arewa has given a quit notice to Igbos and Igbos have replied, now we are to sit down and talk. But when the problem was here, nobody said sit down and let’s talk about these people’s problems.

“Those who are causing this crisis are those who refuse to listen to the yearnings and cries of the people,” Governor Wike said.

He charged the management of the NLNG Limited to bring the construction of the Ship Building Dockyard to the state for the improvement of the economy of Rivers State and called on the NLNG Limited to act on the agreement it entered with the Rivers State Government for the rehabilitation of schools with the sum of N4billion.

Earlier, the Managing Director of NLNG Limited, Mr. Tony Attah appealed to the Rivers State Government to work with other stakeholders to ensure that the NLNG Limited bill was not amended as it would negatively affect the operation of the company in the international stage.

He said that the NLNG Limited was operating 6 trains which generated more than 20 million tones which made it the fourth in the global ranking of LNGs and added that the NLNG Limited was building trains 7 and 8, which would take the capacity of the NLNG to 30million tones and make it third in the world.

He said: “I must say that the train 7 and 8 which will be in Rivers State have the potential to bring more than 18, 000 jobs into the state with up to $20billion investments once we take the final decision.”

Mr. Attah, who did not give details of the bill, said the amendment of the NLNG Limited Act would lead to loss of international confidence, which would have negative effect on the economy.

“It will be most unfortunate. We believe that if this bill is amended, it will not be good for NLNG, it will not be good for Rivers State and it will not be good for the oil and gas industry,” he said.