By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has disclosed that the country loses an equivalent of 200,000 barrels of crude oil per day to theft and vandalism despite support from security agencies.
To address this issue, the Group Managing Director of the agency, Mr Mele Kyari, has called for more support of the security agencies across the country.
At a meeting with the Chief of Defence Staff, Major General Lucky Irabor, in Abuja on Wednesday, Mr Kyari expressed optimism that this menace can be defeated with the full support of the military.
“We have two sets of losses, one coming from our products and the other coming from crude oil. In terms of crude losses, it is still going on.
“On the average, we are losing 200,000 barrels of crude every day,” Mr Kyari stated when he led the NNPC management team to the Defence headquarters.
He, however, acknowledged that petroleum products theft on the crucial System 2B Pipeline has reduced considerably.
On his part, Mr Irabor promised to galvanize the military to provide maximum security for the nation’s oil and gas assets.
General Irabor commended his guest for initiating the engagement, saying: “I am delighted that you made this effort, and I tell you that the Armed Forces of Nigeria will collaborate with you to protect NNPC’s assets”.
General Irabor, who acknowledged the significant role of the oil and gas sector to the economy, said there was the need for collaboration between the NNPC and the Armed Forces to protect oil and gas facilities which he described as critical national assets.
“It is my intention to cooperate maximally with you and to give necessary instructions to all officers in the Armed Forces given that our existence, economically, rests almost solely on the NNPC, and to that extent, we must do everything possible to give you everything that you require,” the Chief of Defence Staff stated.
Dipo Olowookere