Warri Federal Lawmaker Seeks Investigation Into Abandoned EPZ, Deep-Sea Port Projects

The Member Representing Warri Federal Constituency at the Green Chamber, Hon. Chief Thomas Ereyitomi has moved a motion in the National Assembly calling for the investigation into the prolonged delay associated to the awarding/contracting of the Export Processing Zone, EPZ Ogidigben and the Deep-Sea Port, Gbaramatu both in Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State.

According to Representatives Ereyitomi, the project will engage over 450 thousand persons from Niger Delta and Nigeria at large if built and made functional, stressing that the unemployment and insecurity challenges bedeviling the country will be addressed with the massive project cited in the region.

It would be recalled that during the past administration of President Goodluck Jonathan, he performed ground breaking of the gigantic EPZ and Deep Sea Port projects for construction to take off but five years on, nothing yet to show at the site.

Chief Ereyitomi revealed that over 400 hectares of land was acquired and cleared for the purpose of the Export Processing Zone, EPZ to accommodate a major Industrial Gas hub, Petrochemical, Methanol as well as Fertilizer plants within the industrial park.

The Warri House of Representatives member noted that the project was to contribute to the diversification of the Nation’s economy and boost the agricultural, manufacturing and solid minerals sectors through proper harnessing and exploitation of the abundant natural gas reserves available in the area as well as attract foreign direct investments and improve on foreign earnings, open up a lot of opportunities for industrial growth and attract huge foreign earnings for the the growth of the economy.

He expressed worries that since the groundbreaking ceremony, the construction of the Industrial Gas Project which will be the biggest gas producer in sub-Saharan Africa, capable of providing over 100 thousand direct  jobs at the construction stage has being abandoned for too long.

In his motion at the chamber, he moved for the Committee on Gas Resources to investigate and unravel the reasons why the construction of the Ogidigben Export Processing Zone Project is yet to commence and report back within three 3 weeks for further legislative action.

He pointed out that the huge local and foreign Direct Investment potential that the project ought to have attracted to the region is not accruing to the government because it is has not seen the light of the day.