Senator representing Delta Central Senatorial District, Ede Dafinone, has vowed to continue pushing for the retention of the proposed ₦100 billion Industrial Gas Park at Eku-Sanubi, Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State, insisting that the project must not be moved from the area without exhausting efforts to resolve the technical challenges confronting it.
Dafinone said the project, initiated by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, was conceived to promote industrial development in the region and should remain at Sanubi-Orogun, where government had already acquired and cleared land for the project.
Speaking during an interview with Kpoko FM, the senator said he remained committed to ensuring that the investment was retained in Urhobo land.
“I have no intention of moving an Urhobo project to another part of the country.”
Dafinone said the fact that the government had already acquired and cleared the land made it necessary for relevant authorities to explore every possible solution to the challenges delaying the project.
“The government has already acquired and cleared the land, so I am continuing to lobby for the project to move forward,” he said.
The senator disclosed that he had previously raised concerns over the slow progress of the project with the NCDMB while serving as Vice-Chairman of the Senate Committee on Local Content.
According to him, several projects approved around the same period had progressed significantly, while the Sanubi-Orogun project remained largely at the land-clearing stage.
“Other projects that were approved around the same period are already approaching completion, while ours is still largely at the land-clearing stage,” he said.
Dafinone stressed that the significance of the Industrial Gas Park went beyond the physical construction of the facility, saying the ultimate objective should be to generate employment, stimulate businesses and expand economic opportunities for residents of Delta Central.
“The objective is not simply to have a project for the sake of having one. We want an industrial project that will create employment, stimulate businesses and contribute to the development of the region,” he said.
The senator, nevertheless, acknowledged that the technical requirements for the project could determine its eventual location if the challenges at Sanubi-Orogun could not be resolved.
He identified Sapele, Okwagbe and Oghara as possible alternative locations within Delta Central, but stressed that relocating the project was not his preferred option.
For now, Dafinone said his priority remained securing the retention of the proposed ₦100 billion investment at Sanubi-Orogun, while efforts continue to determine whether the technical and logistical challenges at the site can be overcome.
The senator’s position places the focus squarely on finding a solution that will allow the industrial project to proceed at the location where government has already acquired and cleared land, rather than abandoning the investment or moving it prematurely.
