The optimist

Business Today (Oman)

4 September 2011

The optimist

Some years ago, an LNG company located at Bonny Island on the Niger Delta in Nigeria found itself in an unenviable situation. The company had agreed to supply power to the village community. The chiefs and politicians had told the villagers that they would get free power while the company wanted them to pay for it.

The man at the helm of affairs at the LNG company was convinced that people do not value things they didn’t pay for. He held his ground for six months. Finally it was agreed that the villagers will get a minimum free and they would pay for the rest. This episode probably reflects best the philosophy of Brian Buckley, CEO, Oman LNG, who was then heading the Nigeria LNG.