Fidelia Okafor.

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development in Nigeria Mr. Audu Ogbeh has commended the federal government’s plan to introduce Modular refineries to replace the illegal refineries in the Niger –Delta region of the country.

Mr. Ogbeh gave the commendation in an interview with voice of Nigeria’s correspondent Ene Owanihe in Abuja Nigeria’s capital.

He said the plan will give the people of the region a sense of belonging, an opportunity to own and protect the facilities and also guarantee peace in the Niger-Delta Region.

“I think it’s about the only way to guarantee peace and full participation by the people of the Niger-Delta in that industry which is their own more or less,” he said.

In relation to the communities, Mr. Ogbeh said the plan will enable them earn money directly from the oil industry, create jobs for the teeming youths and will also help stop the bombing of oil pipeline and facilities.

“They will have crude allocated to them, they will refine and if eventually there are about five such refineries in that region one in each of the states or even more, it means instead of exporting crude all the time we will export refined products,” the minister explained.

Concerning the development of the region, he said when Nigeria exports refined products Nigeria will earn Dollars directly and the profits will be channelled into water, education, power and other infrastructural development in the region.

He said the people will refine crude the right way with the support of the government and the activities will open up the area for business because aside the refineries other businesses will be attracted to the area.

Mr. Ogbeh said the plan when perfected will be a fair deal for the people of the Niger-Delta region and he hopes the people will respond positively to the governments plan by coming on board as they will eventually be the majority share holders.

“My prayer is that the people of the Niger-Delta will respond and that they will be anxious to participate in the ownership and the management of those refineries and I think finally something more concrete is coming on now to stabilize the region”

He congratulated the Acting President on the announcement as it will go a long way to end the crises in the region when it is finally operational in month’s time.