Amb. Ella Seeks for Consolidation of PTI Mandate
By Wilson Macaulay
The Permanent Secretary with the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources (MPR), Amb. Nicholas Agbo Ella has called for a consolidation of the Petroleum Training Institute (PTI) mandate, adding that the foremost Oil and Gas Institute in Africa has all it takes to train and retrain the required personnel in the sector.
Speaking over the weekend in Effurun while on a working visit to the Institute, the MPR Permanent Secretary said, “We must consolidate on achieving the full potential in the Institute instead of creating another petroleum institute. I feel very proud that we have an Institute like this. I have said it earlier and I will reiterate that, we cannot have Petroleum Training Institute of this magnitude in Nigeria and fail to utilize it”.
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While lamenting the huge loss of revenue incurred on foreign training, Amb. Ella stated that, “Training is essential for all of us as individuals and as an organization. We should be able to develop ourselves and our capacities as well as enhance our productivities. PTI has all it takes to train all oil workers in Nigeria and I don’t see why we cannot train locally in PTI and save our scarce resources”.
Speaking further, he opined that, “I have told our colleagues in the sector that we must patronize the Petroleum Training Institute. At the Ministry level, we will push up the level of collaboration we desire. This is achievable if we unite and work as a team. We will speak with GMD of Nigeria National Petroleum Cooperation (NNPC) and other sister agencies in the Ministry. PTI need to move beyond where it is presently. This is the only Petroleum Training Institute we have in the country and we will not allow it to fail in discharging its responsibility”.
It would be recalled that there was a recent move by the current National Assembly to establish another Petroleum Training Institute in Ibeno, Akwa Ibom State. The MPR Permanent Secretary stated that there is no need for it. He declared that” We should rather channel the resources to PTI Effurun and turn it around, so that it can perform better”.
He further stated that “We don’t need to establish any other institution of this nature in Nigeria. We should work harder to enhance what we have here by improving the capacity of the personnel”.
He suggested that, “If people find it difficult to come down to Effurun for the training, we can actually conduct the training at the Public Service Institute in Abuja under the umbrella of PTI. PTI Certification is recognized globally, so why will I go and train my personnel in a lesser institution outside the country when we have a better and well-equipped organization that can handle such trainings locally with just a little resource. Let’s work together to give maximum cooperation to the Management of PTI”.
Speaking on the purpose of his visit to the Institute, the Permanent Secretary said, “My main visit today is firstly to encourage the acting Principal Chief Executive, Engr. Dr. Samuel E. Onoji and the entire members of staff to pursue professionalism, because, with that, they will be able to be on top of their game in the development of the oil and gas industry.
“Secondly, I am here to encourage the Institute Management, to create room for inclusion in other programs of studies outside what they are currently doing. The energy sector is your primary domain, we want you to push harder to develop other competencies”.
“The Institute as you are all aware is the heart of research for the oil and gas sector of the economy. PTI is a reputed citadel of all technological knowledge and we will continue to give it all the necessary support it deserves. I want to assure you today that the two Ministers of State Petroleum Resources (Oil) and (Gas) have shown great interest and commitment in the repositioning of PTI and I sincerely call on all Nigerians especially, the policy makers to look inward to harness the potential of the Institute”.
On lack of patronage of sister agencies, he promised to continue to engage the President and other stakeholders on the issue adding, “We will continue to give you all the necessary support. The facilities of the Institute are delipidating, we will continue to engage. We will explore all options going forward, we will find a way to attract international support for the Institute”.
While commending the Institute Management for what they have done over the years, he prayed for a well-positioned Institute. In his word, “We look forward to seeing a better PTI in the coming years.
“We will continue to lobby the National Assembly for adequate funding for the Institute. There is need to fund the petroleum industry, we are looking for a way to draw international attention. I am currently championing the establishment of African Energy Bank, when this is achieved, it will enhance our work in research & development and investment in the oil and gas industry”, he disclosed.
