OGFZA is on course to achieve its mandate, says chairman, Sylva

The Governing Board of the Oil and Gas Free Zones Authority (OGFZA) has commended the executive management of the agency for effective leadership.

Chairman of OGFZA’s board, Chief Timipre Sylva, former governor of Bayelsa State, said during the inaugural meeting of the board of the agency at the Oil and Gas Free Zone, Onne, Rivers State, that the Managing Director of OGFZA, Mr. Umana Okon Umana, had demonstrated the right leadership in directing the affairs of the free zone regulator and in administering the oil and gas free zones under his control.

“Umana is leading OGFZA in the right direction,” Sylva said.

The former Bayelsa State governor, who outlined the vision and agenda for the new board, said: “One of the things we would like to achieve is to be able to provide power in Onne.

We are engaging a group of investors that will build a turbine for the free zone; that would be one of the things we would like to achieve before the end of the year.”

He said efforts to improve the revenue position of the agency through effective IGR strategy would receive equal priority attention.

Sylva stated that his board would also do all that is necessary to resolve issues of conflict between the Nigeria Export Processing Authority (NEPZA) and OGFZA, adding: “That will take a lot of our attention because we are going to make sure that we resolve those issues of conflict.”

The OGFZA chairman said one of the board’s priority projects would be “to accelerate the take-off of the Brass Oil and Gas City.”

He noted that the BOG City “was approved and licensed as a free zone a long time ago,” adding: “We have to make sure that Brass Oil and Gas City becomes operational as soon as possible.”

Sylva said the situation called for hard work and firm prioritisation in project execution.

“I am very proud to be part of the board of such eminent Nigerians. “We are all very seasoned people, very skilled people and it is easy for us to understand ourselves.”

Present at the inaugural board meeting were Sylva, Umana, Kuyebi Temitope, Hon. Frank Owhor, Mrs. Ngozi Jipreze, Murtala Adhama, Dr. Emi Membere-Otaji and Mrs. Ifuoma Isaac.