The Nigerian Petroleum Development Company, the exploration and production subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, has lost N1.5tn to attacks on its facilities from January this year till date.
The Group Managing Director of the corporation, Dr. Maikanti Baru, disclosed this at the opening ceremony of the 2016 NNPC Security Awareness Week, under the theme: ‘NNPC Security: A task for all stakeholders’.
Baru decried the rising spate of criminality in the society at large and in the oil and gas industry in particular, saying this had led to the loss of much needed revenue.
A statement from the corporation quoted the NNPC boss as saying, “At industry level, we are all conversant with the seriousness and frequency with which national assets in form of pipelines, flow stations, etc. are vandalised, and crude oil and white products stolen with impunity.
“In 2016 (January to date), for example, the NPDC alone recorded 59 security incidents resulting in crude production shut down/deferment and revenue loss of over N1.5tn.”
He urged Nigerians to do everything possible to help protect the country’s assets, adding that the government was doing much to fight criminality.
Baru, however, stressed that success could only be achieved when all stakeholders imbibed the consciousness that security was a task for everyone.
“At the corporate level, you are all aware that the first item on my 12 focus areas is security. This is in recognition of the imperative that without assurances of safety, the NNPC, the oil and gas industry, and indeed the country cannot achieve appreciable growth to assure citizens of decent and productive lives,” he stated.
According to the statement, the GMD also used the opportunity to inaugurate the corporation’s Kidnap for Ransom Policy to raise staff awareness on the need to avoid actions that predisposed them to being kidnapped, especially at a time like this when kidnapping for ransom had become very rampant.
