NNPC’s Subsidiary Seeks Amaechi’s Support On Security

The Port Harcourt Refining Company, a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), has solicited the support and cooperation of the Rivers State Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi to help secure crude oil supply pipelines in the state and ensure uninterrupted supply of petroleum products to Rivers State and other parts of the country.

The new Managing Director of the Port Harcourt Refining Company, Mr Ian G. Udoh made the appeal when he led a delegation of top managers of the company on a courtesy visit to the Rivers State Governor at the Government House, Port Harcourt on Wednesday.

He said: “Our main mission here is to while seeking ongoing support and cooperation from Your Excellency, the Executive Governor of Rivers State, we also need very strong support in securing the crude oil supply pipeline. Similar measures have been taken, successes have been achieved in the product evacuation line”.

He named the problems confronting the Port Harcourt Refining Company to include pipeline vandalization and crude oil and products theft.

According to him, the vandalization of oil pipelines disrupt the normal supply of petroleum products and sought the governor’s assistance to fight the menace.

“This is the greatest threat to the existence of refining in this country, also to this Port Harcourt Refining Company and its operations.  The crude oil supply pipelines have been under a spate of unprecedented attacks in recent times and products evacuation pipelines suffer similar threats”, he said.

The Managing Director on a brighter note, said the Port Harcourt Refining Company was until very recently in production of six million litres of petrol per day and 17 million litres of product daily collectively, stating that the company has zero tolerance for harmful effluent to the environment.

Udoh disclosed that all NNPC refineries in the country would in the next few years undergo an original builder – led rehabilitation that would increase their capacity utilization to 90 per cent.

On corporate social responsibility, the Managing Director noted that there is a good relationship between the Port Harcourt Refining Company and its host communities.

He congratulated Governor Amaechi on his most recent Vanguard Personality of the Year 2012 Award, describing the award as “an eloquent testimony Sir of your record of outstanding service to the good people of Rivers State.  Your government has hallmarks of commitment, hard work and above all innovation.  You have also brought about a congenial and relatively peaceful atmosphere that engenders economic growth both for individuals, the economy and the entrepreneurship in Rivers State.  This is just one of the many accolades you have received and will continue to receive”.

Responding, Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi said: “Let me welcome you to Port Harcourt and say to you that it brings me joy when you say that there is an improvement in refining in Nigeria. Hope you know that you are fighting a group of people that would prefer importation of finished product than for it to be refined here, so I will partner with you in that regard and I wish you success”.

While he expressed his administration’s readiness to secure crude oil supply pipelines in the state, he urged the Port Harcourt Refining Company and other oil multinationals in the state to be truly involved to work with the state government to provide the needed security for oil pipelines, disclosing that the state government has acquired two surveillance helicopters for checking crime in the state.

“You must then join the oil companies to bear the cost of operations and maintenance, yearly or monthly, I don’t want to know how, because we brought the money to be able to purchase those two helicopters.  They are bullet-proof, they are equipped with sophisticated security gadgets and they record in real time”, Amaechi said.

The governor also appealed to the Port Harcourt Refining Company to consistently carry out its corporate social responsibilities to its host communities in the state.