Nigeria’s aspiration of unlocking over 10billion barrels of deep water oil reserves was accentuated with the signing of the crucial Heads of Terms Agreement among the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and its production sharing contracting partners for the development of the Bonga Main and Bonga South West fields in OML 118.
A press statement in Abuja by the NNPC group general manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Mr. Ndu Ughamadu, said the HOT deal was executed after a successful settlement of a 10-year dispute among stakeholders based on a comprehensive rapprochement anchored by the NNPC.
Chief Operating Officer (COO), Upstream of the Corporation, Mallam Bello Rabiu, said the signing of the agreement on the project came as a major landmark in the quest to unlock the nation’s vast deep water resources and grow the overall crude oil reserves base.
He said with the HOT agreement now safely in the kitty, stakeholders were now looking forward to speedy negotiation ahead of the execution of the Final Investment Decision (FID) under terms which would be mutually beneficial to all concerned.
Group General Manager, Corporate Planning and Strategy of the NNPC, Bala Wunti, who also doubled as head of the Bonga South West Project dispute resolution team, said the resolution of the legal dispute had paved the way for partners to cast their investment net into Nigeria’s highly prolific deep waters with potential for maximum returns.
He said the initiative to exit the legal battle and embrace the commercial option proved a turning point in settling the dispute and turned the next page of the project which is key to the Federal Government’s aspiration in terms of production increase and reserve growth.
Engr. Bayo Ojulari, Managing Director of Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCO), expressed delight at the execution of the HOT which would open up opportunities for the formal release of the Invitation to Tender (ITT) for the massive Bonga South West project.
The project has the capacity to shore up Nigeria’s daily crude oil production by over 225, 000 barrels. Paul McGrath, Managing Director of ExxonMobil Nigeria, commended NNPC for the successful arbitration of the dispute, even as he noted that the future of deep water production in Nigeria remains prolific and beneficial to stakeholders.
Similar sentiments were expressed by Nicholas Terraz, Managing Director of Total Exploration and Production Nigeria (TEPN) and Lorenzo Fiorillo, Managing Director Nigeria Agip Oil Company (NAOC). The Bonga South West Deep project is operated by SNEPCo with Esso Exploration & Production Nigeria (Deep-water) Limited, Total E&P Nigeria Limited, and Nigerian Agip Exploration Limited as co-ventures.
His record as coach is nothing but unimpressive. He has climbed thus through god fatherism and otherwise. If you watch some of the team’s group games you will agree that it was the hand of God and quality of teams in the group that helped Nigeria pick a slot for the WYC in Poland. Paul Aigbogun has nothing upstairs as a tactician. Again for the records, I have met him a number of times. One when he had his first stint with Enyimba at Agege Stadium and Enyimba City stadium Aba during that year’s CAF Champions League. Let’s be honest, due to his colourless approach to the games, I refused to seek a one on one interview with him which is my hallmark as a reporter. Let me also tell you this that I participated in his post match press briefing absent mindedly. He never impressed me as a coach worth his salt to handle a whole first rate and most successful football club in Nigeria like Enyimba FC.
After watching a number of games supervised as coach by Paul Aigbogun, I felt disappointed with Felix Anyansi Agwu and called him cheap and eye service person who pleases other people while his own thing suffers. He pleased Amaju Pinnick to engage an empty coach and Aigbogun’s tenure in Enyimba proved the worst in the team’s history since it won CAF Champions League back to back.
One will not be out of place to say thus of Aigbogun “I am surprised that in all that is going on, what Aigbogun can see is a dance. Football coach /management is serious business, not circus show. I see that, that point has escaped Aigbogun all long which is why teams he has handled in the past and present are nearly shadows of themselves and an example is the Flying Eagles team.
Now, now, now, what does one call that? A rabbit punch or a sucker punch? Both are boxing expressions—a rabbit punch is a punch below the belt, which means cheating and pursuit of dirty means to achieve victory. While a sucker punch is targeted at a careless boxer who exposed his chin for a knockout. And now this; we but sadly chose the other way round hence we have within one breathe lost everything to the lack of foresight by those who are supposed to display genuine football leadership, but rather chose to favour crooks and mediocre instead.
I am still waiting to see who will come up to tell me that Paul Aigbogun is the best among his peers for the Flying Eagles job. Also I am waiting for someone to also point out the difference he impacted into the team he led to fourth placing in Niger Republic. He is not fit for that high job because he has no clout and charisma but could only boast of looking good which incidentally is not what his present job requires as football coaching is not beauty parade which he is best suited for than what he is currently doing. Truth is that there is an extent to where his brothers or kins men can carry him. Coaching is a practical affair and Aigbogun has exposed himself and the people that have been aiding him to this level. If we hope to make an impact at the forthcoming WYC in Poland, the Delta State born ‘coach’ must either be out rightly replaced or to be beefed up with strong hand(s).
It is sad the way and manner things are done presently in NFF where square pegs are fit in round holes and sundry. All the talk about things taking shape, just like the larger Nigeria polity, is nothing but mere propaganda. Nothing is moving progressively to anywhere, rather it has been all motion, no movement scenario. But as we continue to forge ahead for a better deal for our football management, nevertheless, let us not give breathing space to whoever is confirmed as our kill joy in this beautiful game. Our social media handles are active 247. Let’s keep the heat on and discuss this sport. Keep shooting hard, till next week!! Leadership
Pix: Bonga field
