The Paramount Ruler of Seimbiri Kingdom in Burutu local government area of Delta State, King (DR) Charles Ayemi-Botu (JP) OFR, has blamed successive governments in the country for the rots in the oil industry.
The Seimbiri Monarch, who spoke when he played host to the newly appointed Vice Chancellor, Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun, Prof Akpofure Rim Rueke, attributed the sad development to misplaced priorities, greed, corruption and nepotism amongst the policy makers of past governments, both military and civilian administrations.
King Botu, a former National Chairman of TROMPCON, noted that despite the fact that Nigeria is the highest oil producing country in Africa and the 12th in the world, the problem has been a major set back in the oil industry.
He stated “the underlying fact that oil is the economic live-wire of the country as about 95% of its export earnings is from oil and gas production, can not be overemphasized. It is an irony of fate that out of the world’s major oil exporting countries, it is only Nigeria that imports refined products due to mismanagement in the petroleum industry thus rendering all the refineries obsolete and in disrepair”.
Continuing he said “ The quest and agitation for the establishment of a University of Petroleum Resources was with a view to producing truly local participation and the much needed technical manpower, rather than spending millions of dollars in training Nigerians abroad to man the oil sector”.
King Botu, popularly called “Lion of the Niger’ charged the management of the Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun pto bridge the gap and be a panacea to the ailing refineries by producing the much-needed technical manpower for the nation’s oil and gas industry.
“FUPRE should be able to provide the needed skilled labour to locally effect the requisite maintenance and operations in the oil industry. In this regard, I fervently call on President Mohammed Buhari to direct the federal ministry of Education and the Petroleum Development Trust Fund, PTDF, to speedily address the challenges of inadequate infrastructure and technical manpower faced by the university”.
King Ayemi-Botu described the appointment of Prof Rim Rueke as the new Vice Chancellor, Federal University of Petroleum Resources as putting a square peg in a square hole and thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for the wise decision, even as he congratulated the new Vice Chancellor for the appointment.
Earlier the Vice Chancellor of FUPRE,
Prof Akpofure Rim Rueke, said the visit was in line with the high regard the institution has for traditional institution and commended King Botu for his irrevocable commitment to achieving a better deal for the Niger Delta region.
While calling for the sustained support of the monarch in the struggle for true emancipation of the Niger Delta region, the Vice Chancellor appealed to the Seimbiri Monarch to always avail the institution his enviable wealth of experience and contacts as it strive to producing the needed manpower for the oil industry.
The Vice Chancellor was accompanied on the courtesy visit by top officials of the University.
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