The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) says it will not relent in its quest to get the nation’s four refineries back to their optimal capacity. The Group Managing Director of the corporation, Dr. Maikanti Baru who disclosed this in Lagos shortly after receiving this year’s Man of the Year Award from Nigerian News Direct, a Lagos-based daily publication also said the corportion had been holding far-reaching discussions with some consortia to get the best funding options towards the refineries’ overhaul.
He added that the corporation, under his watch, had recorded some remarkable progress in resuscitating some of the nation’s critical downstream infrastructure, a development which he said had ensured seamless supply of products Nationwide, until the recent past hiccups which is now under control.
“Since coming on board, we have made the revamping of our abandoned assets and critical downstream infrastructure a key component of our corporate vision of 12 Business Focus Areas (BUFA),” he stated.
He decried acts of pipeline vandalism, crude oil theft and sabotage which he noted had resulted in huge loss of revenue, lives and property as well as damage to the environment.
The GMD who also called on the security agencies and other stakeholders nationwide to collaborate with the corporation in its on-going campaign against act of sabotage on the nation’s oil and gas facilities also attributed the recent fuel challenges faced in some parts of the country to the nefarious acts of hoarders, diverters, profiteers and smugglers,
Dr. Baru has however applauded the interest shown by the Nigerian media towards the critical sectors of the national economy, a development which he said, had portrayed Fourth Estate of the Realm as partners in progress in the Nigerian project.
