Fg's Insensitivity:Cancels Warri Petroleum Univ., Spends 14bn On Ptdf Abuja
« on: Today at 11:44:50 PM » 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Quote
FG reverses Warri PTI upgrade
Headlines Jul 22, 2009

By Daniel Idonor
ABUJA – THE Federal Government yesterday reversed the upgrade of the Petroleum Training Institute, Effurun, Warri to a University status, as approved by the President Olusegun Obasanjo administration.

Also, the government rose in staunch defence of the N14 billion budget for the construction of the Kaduna Petroleum College, saying that those who do not want the project sited in the north should have a re-think as there is absolutely nothing they can do to change government’s decision.

The Government had on June 3, this year, at its FEC meeting approved the sum of N14.5 billion for the upgrade of the 15-year-old National College of Petroleum Studies (NCPS), Kaduna, to the status of an institution of higher learning, to enable it meet up with the current human capital challenges in the petroleum industry.

At its weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting yesterday, the Government approved the sum of N10.4 billion for the construction of a permanent headquarters for the controversial Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, within 18 months.
A cross section of Ministers studying some documents before the opening of the Federal executive Council presided over by the Vice President at the State House, Abuja. Photo by Abayomi Adeshida

A cross section of Ministers studying some documents before the opening of the Federal executive Council presided over by the Vice President at the State House, Abuja. Photo by Abayomi Adeshida

With the approval, the Kaduna College is now to be responsible for the training of management manpower needed in the industry while the older PTI, Effurun, Warri would be responsible for training the junior cadre manpower required in the oil industry.

This development undoubtedly has continued to generate widespread condemnation from a cross section of people of the Niger-Delta region.

Fielding questions on these issues from State House Correspondents after yesterday’s meeting, the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Dr. Rilwanu Lukman, declared that that the government of President Yar’Adua has since reversed the Obasanjo decision which upgraded the PTI to a University status because it was unnecessary.

He said “look, look, don’t give us that. That is the mistake which we have made, we have gone ahead and converted the polytechnic and the institution we need for the training of the manpower which we need in our oil industry and not only in the oil industry but also to universities. But everybody wants to obtain a university grade, it does not happen that way”.

According to him, “the people who run the economy of a country are not necessarily people with degrees from universities. This is why we give emphasis to the PTI to train people that we need. Our oil industries are suffering because we don’t have the right manpower.

And here you are talking about converting an institute which has been set up precisely to train people that we need into a university that will train people that we don’t need. How? Come on”.

Reacting to why the government decided to spend such sum on a fledging college in Kaduna at the expense of the ailing PTI in Warri, the Minister said “O, come on. Come on; the place I went to study at the Federal College of Science and Technology in London.

It is the biggest training ground for mining and petroleum engineers, and there is not a drop of oil in London. So the question of the location of the institution to train people is not necessarily a coincidence with where oil resources are.

“Having said that”, he continued, “the Petroleum Training Institute in Warri was set up in the middle of the people, where the bulk of the people who are going to be operating in the oil field come from.

The majority of the people are there, we have also in our local content provision ensure that people from the area where the oil is found are going to be predominate, as a matter of policy, in an employment opportunity.”

He explained that “of course, we cannot say that everybody employed in the oil and gas industry must come from the Niger-Delta region but the majority and the bulk of the people are going to, of course, come to the area. The Petroleum College in Kaduna is not going train everybody in the sector.

It is going to train managers, and without prejudice, it will have a high enough standard and people will from all over Africa will come and be trained. And the PTI Warri is training people from Angola, Gabon and Sao Tome and Principe, but the bulk of this intake must be Nigerians. But we will make it possible for other nationals working with us in the industry to bring in students”.

On the government’s wisdom approving N14 billion for the building of a new office for PTDF a week after it approved N3.9 billion for the furnishing of the new office of Foreign affairs ministry, the minister said: “talking about the N14 billion cost for the construction of the PTDF office, if you want to build a three-bedroom flat you know what the price is.

Here you want more people to be trained in the oil gas industry and you don’t want the PTDF to have a befitting office, an agency that trains not only people in the oil and gas industry but for petroleum technology that we need in the oil and gas.

You don’t want them to have suitable office. What do you want to do? You want them to operate from a flat”? He queried.

I would not be shock if Bayelsa loss thier oil production right. check the satellite picture and you know why.

Maybe u joing bayela to republic benin - so they can have electricity

Honestly Bayelsa state may loss its oil status very soon. check google satellite picture

is bayela part of the new republic.

Do you know what no oil status mean. i would show you the oil field in bayelsa state.

Post a topic nd they talk about another thing.
Hmmm!!

this na wicked act

pay peter give to paul. dem take warri people for ride.

Kaduna and abuja deserve it. Yar adua did the right thing here. Warri does not deserve a university, it is only we northerners that deserve more university.

So you feel it is right to cancel one and replace in the north, which kind of govt does that. this na hate for warri people.

my map again.

Aloy.Emeka = bashali

I no hear you talk again, when you see mr map.

Look this is bayelsa state you people think there is so much oil in it and you people do not want us to go over. There is nothing in Bayelsa state in term of oil. no much. na only militia dey there. You can see akwa ibom is 6.4 billion in derivation while bayelsa state is just 2.4, You can see akwa ibom have 3 times the oil in bayelsa.

leave us alone so we can go to benin republic.

Can some explain to me, why the petroluem school should not been in the north.

because the north have no drop of oil.

.

.

bashali:

we northerner knows the ijaws people have no brain. it is better to put a school were the people have brain.

CLAP FOR URSELF

If a schooled person like you think this way, then to fathom the sense of judgement of those touts that burn churches in the north will be a major world bank project.

Beyond having a drop of oil or not in the north, I see arrogance/immaturity on the part of the president. Even If for some reasons the north can be considered for an institution like this , then the timing is north right. People are agitated in the ND and a government that is trying to calm frayed nerves takes a step like this? I call it foolishness because it can erode any promise of peace in the ND and Nigeria at large.

.

who told you ijaws have no brain.

bashali:

You idiot what did yar adua do wrong?. What good is it to put a university in a place were the people have no brain. The president knows the Ijaws people have no brain so he remove the university and put it were the people have brain to go to school. Tell me what is wrong in that.?

Sorry I think I judged you wrongly when I said your are schooled , however your diction shows your are a genius from arabic school, where people are taught that some people can be born without brains . I can bet that in a normal WAEC your cant make a P8 in English Language irrespective of the number of attempts.

Ask your elders and your might just be lucky to find someone who will explain the origin of IJMB to you.

no mind them

Ezeagu, I think OPC AND MEND should merge to OPMEWEND (Odua people movement for the Emancipation of the Western Niger Delta) or the formation of MEWED (Movement for the Emancipation of the Western Niger MEWED )

another one could be MEWEND ( movement for the Emancipation of the Western Niger Delta)

na

now

Look at the oil field in bayelsa state and rivers state. The red line is the boundary of both state. So can you people see it is not because of oil we want bayelsa state inside benin republic.

this is total madness, MEND please respond to this insult by bombing any building close to Aso rock

If I no see MEND do anything in the north. You know mend na coward.