The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) is seeking closer collaboration with the Department of State Service (DSS) to tackle the menace of cross-border smuggling, loss of revenue from products stealing, deliberate damage to pipelines and long indebtedness to the Corporation by persons and corporate bodies that have reneged on business agreements relating to product allocation.
This development emerged on Thursday when the Group Managing Director (GMD) of the NNPC, Mele Kolo Kyari led his Management Team to pay a courtesy visit on the Director General of the DSS, Yusuf Magaji Bichi, to deepen existing interagency relations between the two Organisations, a statement issued on Thursday by the Public Relations Officer of the DSS, Peter Afunanya, said.
During the visit, the GMD stated that the Corporation has, in recent times, faced these challenges of National Security significance, even as he 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, the statement said.
Responding, the Director General of DSS affirmed that the Service 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, the statement added.
Innocent Odoh, Abuja
