Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
The construction of the Oil and Gas industry COVID-19 medical infrastructure for South- South region has taken off in Bayelsa.
Governor Douye Diri, and his deputy, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo joined the Minister of State Petroluem, Chief Timipre Sylva, the Group Managing Director NNPC, Mr Mele Kolo Kyari, the Vice- Chairman/Managing Director, Nigerian Agip Oil Company(NAOC), Lorenzo Fiorillo and the Group General Manager National Petroluem Investment Management Services(NAPIMS), Bala Wunti over the weekend to perform the ground breaking ceremony of the building located at Igbogene, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.
Fiorillo while speaking on the medical infrastructure said concerted collective efforts is needed to defeat the pandemic ravaging the world stressing that the construction would be in line with global standards.
“ENI considers people to be at the core of its culture and fundamental to its business aware that the creation of reciprocal values is possible through the sharing of objectives. We are certain that the Oil and Gas Industry as a whole shares in these values. It is for this reason that we are here today at the difficult period, to perform this ceremony which will ultimately engender a valuable medical asset to the South- South region of the country with women, children, the elderly, men and the vulnerable groups directly benefitting from the medical services that will be provided by the facility when completed in due course. No doubt, defeating this scourge at this critical moment calls for the sort of concerted collective and sustainable effort through collaboration between the government and the private sector as we are witnessing here today. This project will be executed in line with the highest standard obtainable within the health sector anywhere in the world”
Sylva in his address disclosed that the construction of the medical infrastructure being one of the three thematic areas the oil and gas industry is intervening in the fight against COVID-19 noted that the NNPC and its partners would continue to support the 36 state governments in the fight against this pandemic.
“Today’s event is an important one as it puts the nation’s oil and gas industry in a good stead to bequeath a sustainable impact and legacy on our collective healthcare delivery system in the South South region long after the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, NNPC and its partners under this initiative will continue to distribute consignments of medical consumables, equipment and logistics facilities across all the states in the country”
Wunti who disclosed that medical materials for Bayelsa State are ready and would be delivered by Agip commended Sylva for providing leadership that has made the medical infrastructure a reality.