Petroleum products supply to the Northern part of the country received a boost yesterday as the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, re-commissioned its Kano Depot, amidst encomiums poured on the Corporation for reviving the facility.
According to the statement signed by the Group General Manager, GPAU, Ndu Ughamadu, Kano Depot is part of the Corporation’s System 2D Pipeline Network which was knocked down three-and-half years ago due to act of pipeline vandalism by economic saboteurs.
Speaking at the event, the Group Managing Director, Dr. Maikanti Kacalla Baru, said the re-commissioning was aimed at restoring petroleum products supply and distribution for the benefit of Nigerians, and in line with the Presidential mandate of revamping national oil assets.
“Today’s re-commissioning is also strategic as it is one of the several strides embarked upon by NNPC under its 12 Business Focus Areas (12BUFA) Programme aimed at repositioning the Corporation towards sustained profitability,” Dr. Baru added.
According to the GMD, the Corporation had spent about N1.6billion, from January-December 2016, to secure and maintain the vandalized points of the Kaduna-Kano pipeline, a development that has huge implications on the Corporation’s operations.
While stating that the NNPC had over the last few months re-commissioned the Port Harcourt-Aba as well as Atlas Cove-Mosimi pipelines, the GMD further stressed that the Corporation would not relent until all pipeline networks in the country are back on stream.
“Efforts are underway to re-commission other national assets such as the Jos, Gombe, Suleja and Gusau depots.
“Also, the remaining parts of Mosimi-Ibadan-Ilorin as well as Aba-Enugu pipelines will soon test our collective resolve to get the nation’s critical oil and gas infrastructure back on stream,” the GMD noted.
The GMD also called on the State Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, to support the Corporation in safeguarding the nation’s oil and gas facilities in order to ensure steady products loading from depots and sustain economic activities across various states of the federation.
Responding, the Governor, who was represented by his Deputy, Prof. Hafizu Abubakar, commended the NNPC for restoring operations at the depot, adding that the development would bring more prosperity to Kano people.
“Today is a historic day for us in Kano. With the Depot now back on stream, our people would have abundant petroleum products at their doorstep.
“Most importantly, it will boost economic activities within our state. Our joy knows no bounds and we thank NNPC for this,” Governor Ganduje said.
Also at the occasion, oil marketers took turns to commend the NNPC for recommissioning the Kano Depot, a development they believe would ease products supply and distribution operations.
“Today, the NNPC has saved us the stress of moving products through trucks for hundreds of kilometers to Kano with its attendant hazards,” Bashir Dan-Mallam, the Kano Chairman of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association (IPMAN), stated.
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