PTI’s N20bn Uncompleted Projects: Senate Summons Minister, PTDF Boss

The Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, and the Executive Secretary of the Petroleum Training Development Fund (PTDF), Engr. Muttagha Rabe Darm, will appear before the Senate Committee on Petroleum (Downstream) to clarify reasons behind the stall in the conclusion of projects valued at N20 billion at Petroleum Training Institute (PTI), Warri.

Diezani and the Engr. Darma will appear before the committee on the order of the Senate committee, which, led by its chairman, Senator Magnus Abe, were in Warri at the weekend on a tour of petroleum installations and projects.

The PTI Project Consultant, Engr. Adebisi Ashimi, listed about 16 abandoned projects at the institution, some of which had been withdrawn. Some of the projects, which include two students’ hostels, administrative/office blocks, call duty quarters, a printing press, water works, generators and staff club, are part of the comprehensive measures being taken by the Federal Government, through the PTDF, to upgrade PTI, a middle level manpower training centre for the oil and gas industry, to international standard.

Chairman of the committee, Magnus Abe, directed the Committee’s Clerk to invite the minister, the PTDF boss and any other relevant official to a meeting with the committee “to come and explain to us why there are so many uncompleted projects at the PTI.”