By Fatima Saka
Amid speculations that Shell Petroleum Development Company will exit the Nigerian market, the Ministry of Interior Affairs has said Shell and Mobil are not leaving the country anytime soon.
A statement by the ministry stated that the Vice President, Human Resources, Shell, Olukayode Ogunleye, has assured the Federal Government that Shell, Exxon Mobil were not leaving the country.
The statement was made on Thursday by the Director of Press and Public Relations, Ministry of Interior, Blessing Lere-Adams, during a courtesy call at the ministry in Abuja.
According to Ogunleye said although most of their oil wells had been shut down due to high insecurity in the Niger-Delta region, the companies would remain in the country.
It was titled, “Federal Government reaffirms commitment to ease of doing business”.
“The Federal Government has a large share in it, despite the very tough and trying environment around the Niger-Delta region where most of the oil wells are shut down due to insecurity of lives and opportunities, they are still forging ahead to ensure equity diversification of their business to build smaller emerging business to assist in growing the Nigerian economy from both the deep water business to the new Nigerian Natural Liquefied Gas.
“This will enhance the transfer of gas and power to Aba, Ota and Agbara; – all these he said are huge businesses in which the Federal Government of Nigeria owns large shares.” The statement read.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior, Dr Shuaib Belgore, said the Federal Government was committed to the Ease of Doing Business with stakeholders in order to ensure the smooth flow of foreign investors and investment into Nigeria.
For emphasis, Shuaib Belgore repeat that among others, the mandate of the ministry include the formulation and implementation of policies and programmes of the government that enhances internal security, public safety, an enabling business environment for domestic and foreign investors and the maintenance of citizenship integrity.
Belgore assured that the division of Enforcement Investigation and Inspection in the ministry’s duty is largely to ensure compliance to the updated guidelines on the administration of expatriate quota and other business instruments in Nigeria which hopefully shall enable Federal Government provide a conducive working business environment for all stakeholders.
He added that the ministry was ready to collaborate with Shell Nigeria and hopes to maintain a good working relationship that enhances the economic growth of the Nation.
