The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri has disclosed that the College of Petroleum and Energy Studies, Kaduna, will become operational soonest.
The Minister made this disclosure during a facility tour of the Petroleum Technology Development Fund-owned institution located along the Kaduna-Zaria Expressway way. The College is sited behind the Kaduna International Trade Fair Complex.
Inspecting the facilities and extent of work in the College, Lokpobiri expressed satisfaction with the state-of-the-art facilities on the ground.
The Minister who was accompanied by top management staff of the PTDF, said the facility has so far gulped more than N15bn.
The College was established in 2009, and 15 years later, the projects still remain incomplete. “But under the new leadership at the PTDF, projects in the institution are near completion,’ the Minister said.
Lokpobiri after the facility tour noted that with the facilities on ground, it was time to ensure the college was operational. He stated that his ministry will not allow the College to rot away.
He said, “The College with the mandate to train senior cadre officers in the oil and gas sector, would save the country a lot of foreign exchange from training Nigerians overseas.”
“I am waiting on the Executive Secretary to give the relevant briefs. Then, I will brief Mr. President to see how the place will be commissioned and put to use as soon as possible.
“So, I believe that today’s inspection is absolutely satisfactory. Because I saw more than what I was told in the briefs. I am happy that I came today. And I am happy that Nigerians will also have the privilege of seeing this through different media. To continue to give us the cooperation that is needed to enable us to complete this project. And then use them for the purpose that they have been built.”
In his earlier address, the Executive Secretary of the PTDF, Ahmad Aminu, expressed happiness for the Minister’s visit. He, therefore, expressed the readiness of the institute to go operational as most projects had reached completion stage.
Aminu added that so far Sixty-three (63) out of the Eighty-Seven (87) contracts awarded have been completed. While twenty-four (24) contracts were at various stages of completion.
source: Daily Trust
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