A Senior Research Fellow and Director General, Institute of Oil & Gas Research & Hydrocarbon Studies (IOGRHS), Ambassador Moses Essien has been appointed the Director, Oil & Gas Companies Operations of the African Region of the International Human Rights Commission (IHRC) Geneva, Switzerland.
According to his letter of appointment signed by, The President, Ambassador (Dr.) Joseph Rankin, the African Region of the international Human Rights Commission authorized Ambassador Essien to take full initiatives on human rights protection and transact all such matters as may pertain to the bilateral relations in accordance with agreed procedures and to adopt resolutions and make recommendations on substantive topics of the United Nations Human Rights Protection (UNHRP).
The African Executive Committee of the African Region in Nairobi, Republic of Kenya posted Essien to the Republic of Mozambique as the Ambassador plenipotentiary with direct responsibilities to take necessary steps in line with the laws of the Republic of Mozambique to study and implement the agenda of the International Human Rights Commission (IHRC), including verification and examination of all human rights issues, particularly oil and gas activities in the Republic of Mozambique and ensure that they conform with the prescriptions outlined by the United Nations (UN) protocols and procedures.
It is also part of his responsibilities to push and persuade the President, oil organisations, people and Government of the Republic of Mozambique to ratify all United Nations (UN) protocols in respect of human rights abuses.
The Government of Mozambique through the Empresa Nacional de Hidrocarbonetos EP –National Hydrocarbon Corporation holds the exclusive rights and controls the prospecting, exploration, production, transportation, commercialization, refining, transformation of liquid and gas hydrocarbons including petrochemicals and liquid natural gas (LNG) and gas for liquids (GFL) activities.
Mozambique has discovered huge deposit of natural gas reserves in Tamande and Tande in the South of Mozambique and in the Rovuma Basin offshore area, close to the border of the Republic of Tanzania.
The Mozambican Government has recently signed several important agreements with some multinationals for the construction of arguably, Africa’s first floating liquefied natural gas facility. Many companies including ENI of Italy, Galp Energia SGPS SA of Portugal, Kogas – Korea Gas Corporation, CNODC – China National Oil & Gas Exploration & Development, ExxonMobil of United States of America, Shell of the Netherland,Yara International ASA of Norway, Baobab Resources Plc of United Kingdom, etc are participating in the prospection and construction of platforms and drilling of natural gas including investment in infrastructure development.
The total primary energy consumption in Mozambique is around 0.185 quadrillion British Thermal Units (BTUs).
Ambassador Moses Essien is an internationally trained professional. He was educated at the Southern University, California, United States of America; University of Sunderland, North East England, United Kingdom, Lincoln University, Oakland, California, United States of America and Rutgers University, New Jersey, United States of America.
He holds a Public Policy Fellowship of the Institute for Government Research, Leadership & Technology; Fellow of the National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria, Fellow of the Institute of Management Consultants, Charter Fellow of the American Biographical Institute, North Carolina, USA, Member, American Marketing Association, Illinois, USA, Member of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants, UK, Member of the Institute of Direct Marketing, Middlesex, UK, etc.
He gathered oil and gas industry experience at the Taylor Chemical Company International Inc, West Peterson, United States of America. His current research interest is around hydrocarbon, oil and gas policy studies and a Fellow of the Institute of Oil & Gas Research & Hydrocarbon Studies.
He is also a board member of the Green Globe USA LLC and a Trustee of the African Foundation, Brockton, Massachusetts, USA. In 2013, he received the African Role Model Award from the Africanagemerits International. Essien has been a Global Ambassador for Peace since 2013 and will be presenting his letter of credence to His Excellency President Filipe Nyusi at the presidential palace in Maputo, The Republic of Mozambique in the coming days.