*Says Firm strides are indications that NCDMB is fulfilling its mandate
*Urges Firm to Expand to Other African Countries
The Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Nigerian Content Development Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Engr. Simbi Kesiye Wabote has poured encomiums on the strides Vowgas Limited has made since it started operations.
He also pat the Group Managing Director and CEO, Vowgas Limited, Mr. Godwin Izomor on the back for providing what he called “the right leadership” that made it possible for the firm to attain set goals and objectives, especially in the last two years.
He argued that if Izomor had not remained focus in the delivery of the purpose for which the firm was established, the milestones it has recorded over the years would have been a wild goose chase.
Wabote stated this in a keynote address he presented in the Rivers State capital, Port Harcourt recently when Vowgas Limited celebrated two million man hours without lost time incidents (LTI) and the unveiling of a heat treatment furnace and dish heads forming machine.
The heat treatment furnace and dish heads forming machine is said to be the largest in Nigeria and the West Africa Sub Region. It is also said to be one of the best in the African continent and will save Nigeria, nay Nigerians millions of United States of America (USA) dollars hitherto used in getting the services it is providing outside the country.
Apparently elated by the strides the firm has made since it started operation, the NCDMB helmsman said: “MG Vowgas’s mission statement to provide qualitative, innovative, cost effective, value adding services and solutions to the oil and gas industry is indeed supporting the fulfillment of the requirements of the NOGICD Act to which the board is quite delighted.
“Since my last official visit to this fabrication yard, the company has executed various projects in a safe manner. The achievement of 2 million man hours LTI-free milestone represent an excellent performance by the company considering the importance of safety in our industry”.
According to Wabote, beyond the expansion and growth of the company and the acquisition of additional equipment, I am glad to note that the company has not lost focus on the importance of safety. I congratulate and commend the management and staff of MG Vowgas on this excellent safety record and implore you to keep up the trajectory to the next milestone of 3-million LTI-free man hours.
Continuing, he said: “Like you all know, even though we push for patronage of local businesses in the supply chain of oil and gas industry, it must be done without compromising standards. I therefore implore you to ensure that your safety standards are sustained and improved upon regularly through self-checks self-regulation, continuous improvements, and welcome external audits of your processes. Ladies and gentlemen, I have no doubt that these are just the beginning, and we will continue to see greater strides from MG Vowgas in furtherance of our goal of achieving 70% Nigerian Content in the oil and gas industry”.
He enjoined other indigenous players in the oil, gas, maritime industries to emulate Vowgas Limited even as he called on Izomor to expand to other African countries.
His words: “Last week at the Nigerian Economic Summit held in Abuja, we canvassed the importance of local content in the enhancing the growth of the Nigerian economy. It is facilities like this that give us the confidence that we can add value locally, create employment opportunities, and build the skill sets necessary to grow our economy.
“The board is therefore proud to identify with MG Vowgas under the visionary leadership of the Group Managing Director, Godwin Izomor. I congratulate you and the management and staff of MG Vowgas Limited on this major milestone in the history of your company. You are on the right trajectory, and I pray you continue to increase from strength to strength.
“I believe you will expand your services in no distance future to other African countries that are in dire need of your expertise. Our interaction with sister African countries such as Namibia, Uganda, Senegal, Equatorial Guinea and others show their readiness to tap from the experience of Nigeria in the implementation of local content practice. Deliberations at the APPO African Local Content Roundtable held last week in Abuja also show that there is increasing appetite for collaboration amongst businesses within the African continent”.
Earlier, Izomor had in his welcome address, gave an insight into the operations of the firm that was concomitant to its achievements over the years.
He stated that the commissioning of the heat treatment furnace, dish heads forming machine mark a significant milestone in the company journey towards technological advancement beside the celebration of the 2 million man hours without any LTI.
“We are honoured to have the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, Engr. Simbi Kesiye Wabote grace this occasion. The commissioning of the MG Vowgas heat treatment furnace and dish heads foaming machine represents a major stride in our commitment to excellence, innovation and the pursuit of cutting edge technology. This state-of-the-art equipment is the largest capacity stress relieving furnace in the country with its cutting edge technology and advance features”, he said.
Izomor lauded NCDMB and Wabote for their support and encouragement in the achievements recorded by the company.
He also use the occasion to commend the host community for the good relationship it has with the company since its establishment just as he promised to do more to ensure that the good relationship continue in the years ahead,
The highpoint of the occasion was the unveiling of the heat treatment furnace, dish heads forming machine and cutting of a cake to commemorate the 2 million man hours without LTI.
Dignitaries from all walks of life, including representatives of the international oil companies (IOC) and stakeholders in the maritime industry witnessed the occasion.
