By Abdulaziz Abdulaziz Abuja
Th e Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroluem Corporation (NNPC), Dr. Maikanti Kacalla Baru has said that his agenda of opening up the corporation was intended to instill a regime of transparency in the country’s oil sector for public good. Baru, who spoke at a dinner with media executives in Abuja, said the NNPC has for the fi rst time opened aspects of its operations, including bids and procurement that were hitherto opaque, to public scrutiny and access. “Recently, we have opened up our bids and contracting processes to the entire world.
Th is openness has also earned us wide applause, further justifying our commitment to due process, fairness, transparency, accountability and above all integrity,” he said. Additionally, he explained that his management has, “as a matter of principle ensured that the NNPC remains a FACTI-based Corporation (Focused, Accountable, Competitive and a Transparent organisation conducting its business with Integrity.) “Today, our monthly operational and fi nancial reports are always in the public sphere for all to see.
It will interest you to know that it was this new wave of openness and transparency that has earned the NNPC rave reviews among Nigerians and other stakeholders.” In the spirit of enshrining accountability, he said, the NNPC has taken “far-reaching measures towards recovering over 130m litres of missing PMS (worth N14bn), storedin the facilities of some depot owners whom we have throughput agreement with. One of these operators has fully complied by returning the expropriated volumes while we have recovered products worth over N3bn out of about N11bn from the second operator”.
According to the GMD, the corporation under his leadership has “recorded some key milestones which, in line with the NNPC motto, have aff ected the lives of Nigerians – and other stakeholders- in many positive ways”. Baru explained that the achievements recorded under his leadership, which generated public and media interest, was “not unconnected with our collective resolve and renewed vigour of enshrining transparency and accountability in the way we conduct our business for the benefi t of Nigerians and other stakeholders”. “In December last year, the NNPC Website & Social Media platforms won the 2016 Phillips Consulting/ WebJurists Awards for being the best among Federal Government Parastatals in the entire country.” NNPC under his leadership was able to demystify the perennial fuel shortage associated with yuletide period, during the last yuletide period, through collaboration with relevant stakeholders within the downstream sub-sector. Commenting on increasing production capacity of the nation’s oil and gas, Baru said the corporation has increased the reserves to 37bn and 192Tcf respectively. “ We have also re-started exploratory activities in the Gongola Basin with the aim of further growing our oil and gas reserves, taking advantage of low oil prices which make inland exploration cost bearable.
“On security challenges, we are setting up an all-advisory security council involving critical stakeholders which include security agencies, Niger Delta leaders, IOCS etc to complement the Federal Government’s eff orts towards addressing host community agitations as well as ensuring lasting peace in the region.” Baru also appealed “to passionately appeal to those behind indiscriminate acts of infrastructure vandalism to put an end forthwith to these despicable acts which are a great threat to the economy, eco-system and energy security of the country
