Govs Forum pledges to support NNPC to stop pipeline vandalism

dimeji akinloye

October 13, 2015 8:31 PM

Yari added that the NNPC Group Managing Director had promised the governors that the corporation would now begin to meet the expectations of Nigerians.

Nigeria has lost a minimum of N8.04 billion since January, to the incessant vandalism of the country’s gas pipelines, according to the Nigerian Gas Company, NGC, a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC.

The Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) has said that it will work with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to stop pipeline vandalism and oil bunkering in the country.

Gov. Abdul’aziz Yari of Zamfara and Chairman of the forum, gave the assurance on Tuesday in Abuja while briefing newsmen at the end of its extraordinary meeting.

He said the meeting was to let governors understand what the agencies and Development Partners were doing to enable them know how to assist them in the interest of the nation and the people.

"We are supposed to take eight presentations today, but because of time constraint, we were able to take the United Nations Populations Fund (UNPA) and World Bank in collaboration with the Ministry of Health.

"We have also taken Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), we will take the ones we are not able to take today by November.

"The NNPC briefed us on its current programmes for Nigerians, issues of oil bunkering, pipeline vandalism, gas development and the way forward,’’ the NGF chairman said.

He added that the presentations would continue with other Government Departments and Agencies to keep governors abreast on their workings and how to move the country forward.

He stressed that developing the NNPC which was critical, would by extension, ensure the development of the country`s economy since oil was its major source of income.

"The GMD promised us that we are going to see a different NNPC that would fund the country`s economy fully without questions of pipeline vandalism and oil bunkering.

"This, the GMD said, is being taken care of,’’ the NGF chairman said.

Yari, however, said it was regrettable that there were lots of funds the states could access from the World Bank which most state governors were not aware of.

This, he said, was revealed by the World Bank during its presentation to the forum.

Also in an interview with newsmen, Gov. Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State described the presentations at meeting as timely, informative and educative on how to drive governance and economy of the country.

"They told us the current position of things, where we are presently and where we envisage to be and I think it is very good for us particularly as we will be having the National Economic Council Meeting on Friday,’’ Amosun said.

dimeji akinloye