Following the global energy crisis occasion by Russia-Ukrain war, it is only rife that Nigeria blessed with the best crude oil and gas should seize the situation to better the lots of its citizenry.

Imo State is one of the oil producing State, which has counted huge losses to oil well theft or outright concession to neighbouring States through the court. This is what Governor Uzodimma has fought frontally to salvage the situation.

Worse still, the operations of some of the oil exploration companies like Shell had backed out of the State, crashing the revenue to an imaginable meagre sum.

The reason advance was insecurity and other criminal activities that threatened even the workers of the exploring firms.

Cashing in on the global energy crisis, as great negotiator, Governor Hope Uzodimma used the opportunity to change the narrative.

Little wonder few months after Shell Petroleum Development Company, SPDC made public its desire to resume operations in the State after many years of absence, the oil firm has mobilized its workers to return to the site of the multi billion naira Assa North/Ohaji South Gas Development project in Ohaji/ Egbema LGA of the State.

The SPDC resolve to restart operations at the site they abandoned two years ago to also continue with its investment to explore Imo gas is not unconnected with Uzodimma’s intervention.

On August 4, 2022, SPDC announced its intention to resume operations in Imo State, after a meeting between Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma and SPDC Managing Director, Osagie Okunbor held in Abuja.

The state government had also assured the oil conglomerate of his commitment to tackle oil bunkering and oil theft, which has been prevalent in the area.

SPDC General Manager (Security), Bob Fuss, had as a follow up, after the SPDC MD meeting with Governor Uzodimma, also led officials of the company, on an official visit to the State Commissioner for Homeland Security and Vigilante Affairs, Okechukwu Ugorji, where he announced plans of the company to return to the site.

In 2019, the SPDC had performed the ground breaking ceremony of the project which has the capacity to produce 300 million standard cubic feet of gas per day.

Adjudged as one of the largest domestic gas project in the country, initial completion of the project was scheduled for 2023.

However, security breaches in the area forced the project to be put on hold in 2021.

With security restored by the Imo State government, available reports to INNONEWS, indicate the project is on the verge of being kick started again with human and material resources mobilized by SPDC assured of their safety by the State government.

With the resumption of operations, over 980 employment opportunities and 2, 612 sub contracting chances, valued at N1.6billion earlier said to be affected when the construction work was put on hold, would be restored.