WARRI/Nigeria: Senator Ede Dafinone has renewed efforts to get the proposed ₦100 billion Industrial Gas Park at Sanubi-Orogun, Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State, off the ground, saying unresolved technical issues should not prematurely end the project.
Dafinone, who represents Delta Central Senatorial District, said his immediate priority was to explore every available avenue for resolving the difficulties surrounding the proposed site, which he said had already been acquired and cleared by government.
He made the remarks during an interview with Kpoko FM, where he explained his position on the future of the industrial project and the efforts being made to determine whether it could proceed at Sanubi-Orogun.
“I have no intention of moving an Urhobo project to another part of the country,” the senator said.
According to him, the proposed gas park was brought to the area through the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) as an industrial development initiative, making it important for stakeholders to concentrate on removing the obstacles delaying its implementation.
“The government has already acquired and cleared the land, so I am continuing to lobby for the project to move forward,” he said.
Dafinone disclosed that he had previously raised concerns about the pace of the project with the NCDMB while serving as Vice-Chairman of the Senate Committee on Local Content.
He expressed concern that the proposed investment had not progressed at the same pace as some other projects approved around the period, noting that some of those projects were already substantially advanced while the Sanubi-Orogun project remained largely at the preparatory stage.
“Other projects that were approved around the same period are already approaching completion, while ours is still largely at the land-clearing stage,” he said.
The senator said the expected value of the gas park should be measured by its potential impact on the local economy rather than merely by the physical infrastructure to be constructed.
He said a project of the proposed scale could create employment, attract businesses and contribute to industrial activity across Delta Central if successfully delivered.
“The objective is not simply to have a project for the sake of having one. We want an industrial project that will create employment, stimulate businesses and contribute to the development of the region,” Dafinone said.
While insisting that Sanubi-Orogun remained his preferred location, Dafinone acknowledged that technical considerations could ultimately determine whether the project would remain at the proposed site.
He said that if the outstanding requirements could not be satisfactorily addressed, other locations within Delta Central could be examined as alternatives. He specifically mentioned Sapele, Okwagbe and Oghara as possible options.
Such a move, however, would only become necessary if efforts to resolve the difficulties at Sanubi-Orogun proved unsuccessful, according to the senator.
His latest comments come against the backdrop of continuing controversy over the proposed gas park, with questions previously raised about land acquisition, ownership and the suitability of the proposed location. Dafinone had earlier said those issues needed to be addressed through consultation with the relevant authorities and stakeholders.
The senator has also maintained that his intervention should not be interpreted as opposition to the proposed investment. In his earlier position on the matter, he said the project represented an opportunity for investment, employment and industrial development and that the focus should be on resolving the outstanding issues and securing its economic benefits.
For now, the central issue remains whether the technical and logistical challenges associated with the Sanubi-Orogun location can be resolved sufficiently to allow the proposed ₦100 billion investment to proceed.
Dafinone said he would continue engaging the NCDMB and other relevant authorities in pursuit of a solution, stressing that the objective should ultimately be to ensure that the proposed industrial investment is delivered and generates the jobs and economic activity expected from a project of its scale.
