Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
Management of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has resolved to partner the Department of State Services (DSS) to battle challenges of national security.
The agreement was reached when the Group Managing Director of the corporation, Mele Kolo Kyari led his management team on a courtesy visit on the Director General of DSS, Yusuf Magaji Bichi, in Abuja, yesterday.
The statement signed by the DSS Public Relations Officer, Peter Afunanya, said the meeting is 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.”
He said Kyari equally lamented the impact of these on revenue generation of the country and expressed concern that the 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.”