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PIA, A Watershed Moment For Nigeria – Minister

Chief Timipre Sylva, Honourable Minister of State for Petroleum, has said that the Petroleum Industry Bill now Petroleum Industry Act(PIA), is a watershed moment for Nigeria as it provides legal, governance, regulatory and fiscal framework for the Nigerian petroleum industry, the development of host communities and other related matters.

The Minister stated this, at the weekend in Warri during the 2021 graduation ceremony of the Petroleum Training Institute (PTI).

Represented by Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dr. Nasir Gwarzo, Chief Sylva hinted that, President Mohammadu Buhari has also approved the constitution of a Steering Committee to oversee the process with the primary responsibility of guiding the effective and timely implementation of the PIA.

Speaking further, Chief Sylva said, “The Implementation Committee will ensure that the PTI is saddled with the responsibility of of Human Capacity Development in the Oil and Gas Sector in Nigeria.

“The Ministry is glad to partner with the Institute in her forth-coming International Conference on Hydrocarbon Science and Technology, with the theme, ‘Optimizing Gas Utilization and Energy Transaction for Sustainable Development”.

“Buhari has also approved the constitution of a Steering Committee to oversee the process with the primary responsibility of guiding the effective and timely implementation of the PIA”

The Minister, who was hoping that, the conference will provide a roadmap for the nation’s gas revolution in the coming decades, said, the theme of the conference further underscores the core mandate for which the Institute was established.

Chief Sylva urged the graduating students to continue with the confidence and brilliance they have so far exerted, he congratulated the newly-appointed Principal and Chief Executive of PTI, Dr Henry Adimula, whom, he said, would achieve tremendous limestones in his tenure.

Earlier, in his address, Governor of Delta State, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, congratulated the entire Management, staff and students of the Institute.

In his admonition to the students, the governor said, “You would be judged alongside your academic credentials with the content of your character, ideals you share, your acute understanding of the immutable concept of right and wrong, your capacity to be curious beyond the area of your academic Competencies.”

The governor, represented by the Commissioner Higher Education, Dr. Patrick Mobuoghare, said his administration in line with the SMART Agenda, believes that , providing quality education is the most powerful weapon that can be used to change the world; hence, the recent upgrade of the College of Education, Agbor, the state-owned Polytechnic, Ozoro in Isoko North to full-fledged Universities.

Earlier in his welcome address, Principal and Chief Executive of PTI, Dr. Henry Adimula, who described the ceremony as one of joy in the annals of the institute, congratulated the graduands for being found worthy in learning and character.

While reeling out the achievements of the institution, said, they included the establishment of world-class driving school, thanked the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Sylva and his staff for supporting the institute.

He, however, solicited urgent assistance in the areas of capacity-building for staff, upgrade of the institute’s printing press, software licences for laboratories and workshops’ equipment bought by the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) and research and training grants for staff.

A total of 2,297 students from the 2018/2019 and 2019/2020 academic sessions were conferred with diplomas and Certificates.

Out of the number, 1, 408 were awarded National Diplomas, 1, 153, Higher National Diplomas and 16 graduands received the PTI General Welding Certificates, with no fewer than 161 bagged Distinctions, while 810 students graduated with Upper Credit grades.

Adetunji Olabode with a CGPA of 3.75 and Miss Peter Jose’s Vwegba of the departments of Petroleum Engineering and Natural Gas Processing Technology (PNGPD) and Petroleum Engineering and Geo-Sciences (PEG) emerged overall best graduating students in the 2018/2019 and 2019/2020 academic sessions, respectively.

SOURCE: nigerianobsernews.com

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