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From Jude Chinedu, Enugu
The Chief Executive Officer of Okamkpa Oil & Gas Ltd, Francis Aja Chukwu, has commended the Ebonyi State Government under Governor Francis Nwifuru and the immediate past governor and Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, for creating a business-friendly environment that is attracting private investments into the state.
Chukwu said the supportive policies and infrastructural groundwork laid by Umahi, and sustained by Governor Nwifuru, had given investors the confidence to establish enterprises capable of transforming local communities.
Speaking in a statement on Friday, he revealed that his firm, Okamkpa Oil & Gas Ltd, located in Owutu Edda, Edda Local Government Area, was being positioned to generate over 1,000 jobs for youths of the Edda clan within the next seven years.
“I thank the Ebonyi State Government under Governor Francis Nwifuru for providing the enabling environment for businesses to thrive. I also want to specially thank the immediate past governor of the state and Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, for his dedication to work and for bringing Ebonyi State to the limelight. Both of them are the heroes of our time,” he said.
According to Chukwu, the motivation behind establishing the energy firm in Edda was to bring petroleum products closer to the people and ease the hardship residents face when travelling to neighbouring towns in search of fuel, kerosene and gas, especially during festive periods.
He explained that the name “Okamkpa” was drawn from the Edda dialect and symbolises resilience in the face of challenges.
“My intention was to provide jobs for our people and to reduce the suffering and stress they go through to get petroleum products. Anybody who goes out to work every day will surely come back home to provide food for his family. Our target is to employ more than 1,000 people from Edda in the next seven years,” he said.
Beyond oil and gas, Chukwu disclosed that his company was expanding into agribusiness and hospitality, with a view to building a one-stop enterprise hub in the area.
On security, he dismissed concerns, noting that the community had embraced the project. “There are no security challenges here. The people own the business and they won’t allow anything to happen to their business,” he added.
He also praised the Chairman of Edda Local Government Area, Prince Chima Ekumankama, for his support at the early stages of the project.
“He made the processes easier for us. Though he is not an official partner, I have confirmed him as a partner here because of the support he gave me,” Chukwu said.
He described Ekumankama as a key moral booster at a time when the project faced uncertainties, adding that the combined support of the state and local governments had made the Okamkpa initiative a reality.
