A major step aimed at fast-tracking the Federal Government’s Gas Revolution Agenda was taken on Friday by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, with the establishment of the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) Gas Pipeline Project Steering Committee with the mandate of ensuring efficient and accelerated actualization of the task.
The project which was approved under the National Gas Master Plan by the Federal Executive Council is designed to transport gas for power and manufacturing industry usage to the key northern axis from Ajaokuta –Kaduna –Kano.
Speaking at the inauguration of the Committee, Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Dr. Joseph Dawha described the AKK assignment as a National Priority Project which is one of the cardinal programmes of the transformation agenda of the President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan administration.pipe line
He noted that while progress is being made in the execution of the adjoining OB3 gas pipeline project as well as the looping of the Escravos Lagos Pipeline System (ELPS), implementation of the AKK Project is slow and out of sync with Government’s desire for accelerated implementation.
“In order to strengthen this critical Government National Priority Project and have it refocused for accelerated implementation, there is the compelling need for the establishment of a dedicated AKK Project Steering Team with clear governance structure,” the GMD said.
The Project Steering Committee comprises of the GMD NNPC as Chairman with the Group Executive Directors of Gas and Power, Exploration and Production as well as Commercial and Investment as members. Also listed as a member of the PSC is the Coordinator, Corporate Planning and Strategy.
The PSC will be responsible for providing general guidance and direction for the project, grant approval for business models, equity participation, budgets, contracting strategy and appropriate reporting to the Honourable Minister of Petroleum Resources as well as endorse strategic investors and recommend as appropriate to Government for approval.
The AKK Project Support Team on the other hand consists of a group of 10 personnel drawn across various divisions of the Corporation with Mallam Rabiu Bello, General Manager, Corporate Planning and Strategy, as the Team Lead.
Mallam Bello is to coordinate the activities of the Project Engineering Procurement &Construction (EPC) Team and the Project Support Team.
In its terms of reference, the team is mandated to review all existing contractual, technical, commercial, financial issues relating to the project among other items .
As part of efforts to stamp out illegal oil bunkering , the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC and the Nigerian Navy have pledged to work together to curtail the crude oil theft and other social crimes in the Nigerian maritime waters.
At a courtesy call on the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Usman Jibrin in Abuja, the Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Dr. Joseph T. Dawha emphasized the need for the Corporation and the Nigerian Navy to strengthen ties for the socio-economic growth and stability of the nation.
Dr. Dawha applauded the Navy for its tremendous support to the NNPC and its partners in fostering and ensuring a secure environment for its personnel, facilities and operations.
According to the GMD, the Navy has supported the Corporation in securing its assets and facilities in the upstream, midstream and downstream of the Oil and Gas industry adding that the aggressive patrols and surveillance have led to the arrest of pirates and illegal bunkerers over the years.
He maintained that the gallant security presence of the Navy has gone a long way in stabilizing NNPC operations in Escravos, Warri, Port Harcourt, Bonny, Atlas Cove in Lagos and the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company, NPDC operations in Benin city and environs.
Dr. Dawha expressed the readiness of the NNPC to sustain the engagement with the Navy and other security personnel especially in the areas of pipeline security, vandalism, crude and product theft and the associated crimes of kidnapping and abduction of oil workers on the near shore, offshore and deep water.
In his response, the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Usman Jibrin reassured the GMD and the top management of the NNPC of Navy’s continuous support in reducing oil theft, illegal bunkering, piracy and poaching to its barest minimum. He said the activities of oil bunkers and illegal refiners have given the country a negative image and the Navy is determined to chase the perpetrators of these nefarious acts out of business for the common good of the country.
Culled from www.vanguardngr.com
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