The Group Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mr. Mele Kolo Kyari, on Thursday, led his Management Team to pay a courtesy visit on the Director-General of the Department of State Services, Alhaji Yusuf Magaji Bichi, fwc to deepen existing interagency relations between the two Organisations.
During the visit, the GMD stated that the Corporation has, in recent times, faced some challenges of National Security significance. He identified these to include the loss of revenue from product stealing, deliberate damage to product pipelines, cross border smuggling of petroleum products and long indebtedness to the Corporation by persons and corporate bodies that have reneged on business agreements relating to product allocation
Mr Kyari lamented the impact of these on revenue generation of the country. He expressed concern that dwindling revenues affect Government’s ability to realise its objectives.
Consequently, he sought the assistance of the Service in containing the threats as well as recovering the debts in line with its mandate of protecting the nation against economic sabotage. Speaking further, the GMD identified the Service as a strategic stakeholder in Nigeria’s National Security management and enjoined it to continue to protect NNPC’s critical assets for the good of the nation.
Underscoring the significance of the DSS in the National Security architecture of the country, he requested the support of the Service in the Corporation’s frontier exploration efforts in parts of the country.
Responding, the DGSS affirmed that the DSS is actually a frontline partner of the NNPC. In line with the renewed interagency relations which he has always identified as an effective paradigm for modern security management, he pledged the support of the Service to the Corporation. He emphasized the need for protection of the nation’s economy to enable the Government to continue to perform its fundamental objective role of ensuring the security and welfare of citizens as enshrined in the Constitution.
Considering the important role of the NNPC in the economy of the nation, the DG charged it to take advantage of the visit to consolidate its collaboration with the Service. The DG introduced his key Management members to the visiting NNPC.
