THE NEEDLESS OUTRAGE OVER GAS REVOLUTIONARY INDUSTRIAL PARK, OGIDIGBEN

At a time when the rate of unemployment is becoming more worrisome, particularly against the backdrop of a drop in the price of crude oil at the International market, possible ways of tackling the negative implication of the reality before all Nigerians ought to be paramount to everyone.

The initiative behind the much talked about Gas Revolutionary Industrial Park, GRIP, Ogidigben, Escravos, Warri South-West Local Government Area, Delta State by the President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan administration should have generated the support of all stakeholders. This is vitally important because available information indicates a positive monumental infrastructural, agricultural and economic development of not just the coastal communities in Delta State, nay Niger Delta but a huge transformation of the Nation’s economy.

Reports also suggest that the project has the potential of generating over three million employments as well as massively expand our agro-allied industry and pave the way for developing our potentially profitable gas industry which is still yet to hit the scratch.

It is therefore absolutely unnecessary the level of divisive ethnic outcry and controversy the sitting of the project has generated. The population of the Itsekiris on whose land majority of the project is situated is far less than 3million, this is much less compared to the number of persons that will directly benefit from the project in terms of direct job opportunities, not to talk of the indirect economic engagements, contracts’ award and capacity building of people of the Niger Delta Coastal communities.

Like in the case of Chevron EGTL project which engaged several thousands of Nigerians, cutting across ethnic groups, the EPZ will by implication provide employment for the Itsekiris, Ilaje, Ijaws, Urhobos, Isokos , Kwales, Ibos, even some expatriates and indeed every ethnic group in Nigeria. This is not to rule out the local content act in job placements and contract awards, but the benefit is so massive that everyone will have a sweet taste of the project and its subsequent positive impact on the Nation’s economy.

Hence the ongoing media war, tension and outcry by Itsekiri, Ijaw and Ilaje of Warri South-West Local Government Area is absolutely needless and uncalled for, because preliminary work at the project site attest to the trans ethnic engagement in employment opportunities and contract awards.

We should not take ourselves back to the dark ages of Warri crisis for a legacy project intended to improve our shaky economy and develop the coastal communities.

Editor-In-Chief

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