The recent controversy surrounding the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and Presidential Gas Initiative’s Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) projects in Kogi State has sparked heated debates.
Some critics, particularly supporters of a former Deputy Senate President, have accused a Kogi senator of claiming undue credit for the project and diverting resources meant for Delta State.
However, Hon. Francis Ejiroghene Waive, a member of the House of Representatives, has set the record straight. He emphasized that the construction of the CNG plant in Kogi State is an economic decision, facilitated by existing gas infrastructure.
“The decision to construct five CNG plants in Kogi State is purely economical,” Waive clarified. “The pipeline network already provides easy access for distribution to the northern region.”
Waive further rejected claims that the current administration initiated the pipeline transporting gas from the Niger Delta to Niger Republic, reminding Nigerians that it was former President Muhammadu Buhari who began the project. “Such large-scale infrastructure projects require long-term planning, and are beyond the tenure of a single administration,” he added.
The lawmaker also condemned attempts to politicize the gas project. “Those spreading these falsehoods should reconsider their actions, as misinformation ultimately harms the very people they claim to represent,” he said, urging an end to the politicization of vital infrastructure.
The gas plant in Kogi State, which will serve domestic LNG facilities, CNG compression sites, and other gas-dependent facilities, aligns with the Federal Government’s Decade of Gas and Presidential CNG initiatives, aimed at enhancing Nigeria’s industrialization and transportation sectors.