Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta state and the Group Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Mohammed Sanusi Barkindo, Tuesday in Abuja brainstormed on the need to ensure the safety of installations in the oil-rich Niger Delta region
Uduaghan who was in about one and a half hours behind-the closed door meeting with the NNPC boss said he was at the corporation to seek ways the state could partner with the NNPC to ensure the safety of not only the facilities, but also the oil workers in the state.
He said, " For us in Delta State, we know that the major issue as far as support is concerned has to do with security and I want to assure you that, we will continue to work as a government with you to ensure that there is adequate security for the workers, the employees and all other oil workers in state.
"One of the ways to ensure that is to continuously engage the host communities. This has been the greatest strategy that we are going to adopt. We believe in the need to educate to preserve the facilities, because we are part owners of much of the oil being produced through the NNPC.
"It is from this source that most part of this country are fed up in terms of monthly allocations, because without the revenue from oil, the issue of revenue allocation would be a different story today. So we need to protect the facilities and the human beings working in those places so that the production can go on smoothly."
The governor re-iterated the desire of the state government to play active role in the proposed gas master plan because of its move to secure the facilities in the Niger Delta.
According to him, "If the government and the communities have some form of ownership in the business and they know that at the end of the day whatever profits so declared, part of it goes to them, there will be some sense of security which also leads to a sense of protection."
The NNPC GMD thanked the governor for his continuous involvement on issues affecting the safety and security of the facilities of the corporation in his area. He particularly lauded the governor for his recent intervention during a militant attack on Otorogbo Gas Plant in the state, which he said sent down jitters in the spine of the entire oil and gas industry.
He said, "Being the host of our two key subsidiaries, the Nigeria Gas Company (NGC) and the Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company (WRPC), not to talk of some of the key gas projects and tank farms spread across the length and breadth of state, your efforts become the appreciative, making you qualified to call yourself an unpaid staff of the corporation.
"On a personal level, you have not failed to identify with us as we battle with the challenges of the industry, you have always been on our side and being supporting us.
"Let me publicly thank the governor on behalf of the NNPC family for his prompt response to the unfortunate incident at the Otorogbo Gas Plant. This unfortunate incident had sent shivers through the industry, not only the NNPC because of the strategic importance of Otorogbo to the supply of gas to the ESB system of which the power supply of this country rests upon.
"This governor jumped out of his bed in the unholy hours of the day to Otorogbo to secure the place, restore normalcy, engage the communities and the JTF (Joint Task Force) and more importantly, our colleagues the staff and the workforce in that facility and restore confidence.