Daily Independent (Lagos)
Segun Adeleye
8 January 2009
Abeokuta — The discovery of oil in two different locations in Ogun State is exciting the Governor, Gbenga Daniel. He said the state will soon join the league of oil producing states in Nigeria as crude oil has been discovered in large quantities in two local governments in the state.
They are Ogun Waterside and Ipokia Local Government Areas.
Speaking in Abeokuta on Wednesday, the governor stated that the state had discovered the black gold in Ode Omi, Ogun Waterside Local Government, and Dahomey Basin in Ipokia Local Government.
Daniel, who made the disclosure at the inauguration of the boards of 10 state government agencies and parastatals, said that the state "has conclusive evidence that the crude oil deposits found in those places are in large quantities.
"Charging the boards to ensure that they did not become "cost centres" to the government, the governor advised that they should add to the revenue profile of the state government.
He said, "The board on Gateway Oil and Gas Limited has its task cut out and that is to ensure that the state join the crude oil producing states. The potential of the oil wells in Ogun Waterside, in a place now located within Olokola must be actualized; we want to conclude on that.
"The Dahomey Basin is more especially important when we realize that the same basin extends to Ghana, where crude oil deposit had just been discovered. We have conclusive evidence too that the deposit here is in large quantity."
Some of the boards inaugurated included those of the Olabisi Onabanjo Teaching University Teaching Hospital, with a U.S.-based health management expert, Dr. Femi Ajayi, as Chairman.
Others included the boards for Gateway Television, with Chief Taiwo Alimi as chairman, while Chief Keji Okunnowo heads the board of Gateway Tourism Development Corporation.
Daniel charged the GTV and Gateway Radio boards to ensure that the state broadcast media was on satellite platform by the end of the year.
He called on the board for the teaching hospital to take as priority the conclusion of the Trauma and Diagnostic Centre at the OOUTH, Sagamu.
"So, in view of this, there is serious work to do. The boards have to be creative in the execution of their businesses. That is why you have to see your appointments as a call to serve at higher levels; it is not the proverbial finding job for the boys," he said.
The governor warned the board members not to make excessive demands on the managements of their agencies, urging them to ensure the observance of due process and transparency in their operations.
Ajayi, who responded on behalf of other chairmen, expressed the confidence reposed in the ability of the members to deliver, promising that the board chairmen and their members would justify such confidence.
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2009 Daily Independent. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
