At last, construction of the much talked about Oloibiri oil museum to be built at Otuabagi, Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State is set to start by construction giants, Julius Berger.
The project is to be sited on a 55.05 hectare of land and will be funded by the PTDF, NCDMB, Shell (now Renaissance Africa) and the Bayelsa State Government, based on the contribution ratio of 40:30:20:10, respectively.
On Tuesday, the stakeholders were at Otuabagi for the formal handover of the project to Julius Berger. Executive Secretary of the NCDMB, Felix Omatsola Ogbe who was represented by the board’s Director of Corporate Services, Alhaji Abdulmalik Halilu, said a project management team has already been constituted to ensure that timelines and other expectations were strictly adhered to.
Ogbe also disclosed that a governance structure had already been drawn up for the Museum Centre for purposes of efficient and effective management and that the community would be given a sense of belonging at all times.
He charged youths of the community to prepare to take advantage of training programmes to be provided in diverse skill sets to be able to secure employment in the facility.
He commended the Otuabagi community, particularly its stakeholder committee led by the Vice Chancellor of Federal University, Otuoke, Professor Teddy Adias, for the maturity and comportment exhibited during earlier disputes relating to the project location.
Key features of the project concept include an oil and gas museum, within which is a display of geological formations, platforms, early equipment and tools marking successive stages in the evolution of oil and gas operations in Nigeria, an interactive screen for digital engagement with professionals, students, tourists and historians across the globe in search of knowledge.
The research testing centre, which is the second arm of the complex, will have an open field around one of the abandoned wells, where field trials of prototypes of oil- and gas-related indigenous research will be conducted, in fulfilment of the requirement for product acceptance in industrial application. It will also provide access to university students in oil- and gas-related disciplines to potentially appreciate an active oilfield.
In his remarks, the Chief of Staff, Government House, Bayelsa State, Peter Akpe, who represented the Bayelsa State Government, said the handover ceremony signaled the transition from drawing board to action and that a project that had been so long in the pipeline is finally coming to fruition. He commended the NCDMB, and other promoters as well as the community’s Stakeholder Committee for their commitment thus far.
A representative of Julius Berger, Mr. Rimon Marisho, Deputy Regional Manager, South and East, expressed appreciation to the NCDMB, Bayelsa State Government and the Otuabagi community for all they have done to bring the plans for the project to execution phase. He described the handover ceremony as “a perfect beginning,” while assuring all, “we are here for development.”
Goodwill messages were given by the President of the Ijaw National Congress (INC), Professor Benjamin Okaba, and the President of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), Sir Jonathan Lokpobiri, who pledged maximum support for the project and also assured of a safe environment for the construction work.
Earlier in a welcome address, the Chairman of the community’s Stakeholder Committee, Professor Adias, expressed appreciation to the NCDMB, PTDF, Shell and Bayelsa State Government for their efforts in actualizing the project, which has been on the drawing since 1981, during the administration of the then President Shehu Shagari.
