Delta Government and NIPCO Gas Limited on Thursday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the establishment of a Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) vehicle conversion centre in the state.
At a brief ceremony in Asaba, the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Dr Kingsley Emu, the Commissioner for Transport, Mr Onoriode Agofure, and the Attorney -General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Ekemejero Ohwovoriole, signed on behalf of the state government.
While Mr Sanjay Tarat signed on behalf of NIPCO Gas Limited.
The SSG, in his remarks, said it was a deliberate effort of Gov. Sheriff Oborevwori to provide a place for residents of Asaba to convert their petrol – dependent vehicles to CNG- powered ones.
Emu charged the company to ensure that it made good use of the place provided for the take -off of the project and to maintain quality and standard in handling the project.
He said, “Gov. Oborevwori takes seriously the issue of timeliness and quality,” adding that the state would not hesitate to revoke the MoU if the company failed to perform accordingly.
“We have shown commitment by providing you with a 3,000 square meters facility in the heart of Asaba.
“The conversion to CNG is the way to go; the governor was among the very few governors who drove in Electric Vehicles and CNG vehicles. Yes, planning takes a while and here we are with this engagement.
“It shows that we want to get the fundamentals right before we start getting the vehicles. Without the CNG stations in our environment, we can’t go anywhere.
“So, we like to welcome you to Delta state. This ceremony is important to us and the name chosen is a brand and NIPCO is one, especially as it concerns CNG; one of the foremost in the country.
“Timelines are very critical to us. Please, endeavour to keep to timelines. I am sure you have heard about His Excellency’s penchant for timelines and quality jobs on the social media space.
“We shall not hesitate to revoke this MoU on account of your inability to perform. We do know you can perform and your inability to perform, we have mitigated by providing the space; which is also what we owe you. Therefore, the ball is in your court”, Emu said.
The commissioner for transport, Mr Onoriode Agofure, who took the team on a guarded tour of the site of the project on Summit Road by Inter Bau Roundabout, Asaba for official handle over, said CNG was more cost- effective than petrol and called on citizens to embrace it.
On his part, the State Commissioner for Works (Rural Roads) and Public Information, Mr Charles Aniagwu, said the state had to do a feasibility study on the project before embarking on it.
Aniagwu said the project would be expanded to cover other parts of the state, though it had to start in Asaba, adding that the cost of transportation would crash overtime with the effective takeoff of the CNG busses in the state.
“You may want to ask why we are starting now, we had to do a good feasibility study. We felt that we cannot bring in CNG busses when there are no stations to fuel them.
“You must first and foremost have where you will fuel and refuel these vehicles before they can start running. And let me assure you that the fact that they are starting in Asaba does not mean they are stopping here.
“Once this is done, we will move to other major cities, starting with Warri, and, later, the various local government headquarters. So, we believe that once this is done, given the difference between the cost of CNG and PMS, the cost of transportation will definitely come down.
“The government has also assured that all that is needed for them to meet the deadline will be made available. And you heard them mention that this is the first time a governor is practically involved,” Aniagwu said.
The Chief Operating Officer, NIPCO Gas Limited, Mr Sanjay Tarat, appreciated the governor and other top officials of the state for facilitating the process.
“I appreciate Gov. Sheriff Oborevwori for this opportunity and the Commissioner for Transport. Delta state is the first state in Nigeria to have provided this kind of location for our CNG.
“We definitely promised the commissioner that we will need six months to complete it. But be assured that this job will be completed before then and we will prove it.
“The only thing is that we have to follow all the laws and rules. We definitely know that this being the first station, will not be the last station. So, we are very thankful to the Gov. Oborevwori and Delta state government,” Tarat said.
