Ibeno is home to several international oil companies in Akwa Ibom State, and a bill to build a petroleum training institute there has just passed its second reading in the House of Representatives.
When passed, the bill would put to use the abandoned ultramodern skill acquisition center that the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs built and equipped, according to a statement released on Friday by the media unit of the member representing Eket/ONNA/Esit Eket/Ibeno Federal Constituency, Hon. Okpolupm Etteh.
The bill titled “A Bill for an Act to Establish Petroleum Training Institute Ibeno, Akwa Ibom State to provide full-time courses of Instruction, Training and Research in petroleum technology and Produce Technicians and other Skilled Personnel required to run the Petroleum Industry and for Related Matters (HB.362)” was mentioned in the statement.
The bill “seeks the development of the petroleum industry through technological advancement,” according to an influential member of the discussion, Hon. Etteh, who is both the sponsor and the deputy chairman of the House Committee on University Education.
The development of the Petroleum Training Institute in Ibeno and the making of thorough preparations for its management and administration are also among its aims.
It was Hon. Etteh’s hope that “the proposed Training Institute would provide technical knowledge for oil industry personnel so that Nigeria reduces dependence on foreign experts” when he pleaded with House members to pass the measure.
Based on the abundant mineral and petroleum resources in the Eket/ONNA/Esit-Eket/Ibeno Federal Constituency, a number of international oil companies (IOCs) such as ExxonMobil, Network Production and Exploration Limited, Savannah Energy, Total E&F, Oando Oil and Gas, Chevron, Universal Energy, Sterling Oil, and the ongoing BUA Petrochemical Refining Complex are based there. The country’s economy is highly dependent on foreign exchange earnings.
The country’s economy has benefited greatly from these resources throughout the years, thus it is both appropriate and patriotic to set up a Petroleum Training Institute at Ibeno.
There is an immediate need to educate and prepare our people with the necessary information and expertise demanded by the industry, particularly in the application of contemporary techniques that can only be taught and taught in a classroom setting. It may interest you to hear that our international Olympic Committees continue to depend on foreign experts in certain domains.
The statement went on to say that following the voting, the bill was sent to the House Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream) for further consideration by Deputy Speaker, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, who also served as plenary presiden.