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Tag: John Ofikhenua

  • Customs breaks records with 1of3 female management

    Customs breaks records with 1of3 female management

    • Gives management three months to reduce smuggling 

    The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) on Tuesday broke the global record of appointing women as 1/3 of its management staff. 

    The Comptroller-General Hameed Ali, who made this known while decorating five Deputy Comptrollers General and eight Assistant Comptrollers General in Abuja, said that the promotion and decoration was the “first time that the service was abiding by the Beijing Conference resolution on women.”

    He explained further: “I am bringing to the notice of this gathering that this is the first time that the Nigeria Customs Service will be abiding by the Beijing Conference Resolution. Today, out of the 18, management members of the Nigeria Customs Service, we have six women. Out of six DCGs, we have two women. So that is one-third of the members. Out of 18, we have six.”

    According to him, one of the points that were highlighted in the last Word Customs Organization (WCO) was the issue of equality between women and men.

    The elated Customs boss said: “I am glad to tell the Secretary General of the WCO that the Nigeria Customs Service was the first to meet that criterion.”

    Those that were decorated were DCG Aminu Dangaladima, DCG Augustine Chidi, DCG Sule Robert Alu, DGG Patience Iferi, and DCG Ronke Olubiyi.

    The service also decorated eight Assistant Comptrollers General.  

    The Customs boss disclosed to the officers that “we are not doing very well in covering smuggling. Ensure in the next three months we reduces smuggling to the barest minimum. We must reduce smuggling of especially rice. I keep getting the news that rice is coming. We have to stop the influx of rice into this country.”

    Continuing, Ali told the newly decorated officers that their new rank means a call for more work as their promotion was even consequent upon performance and hard work.

    He said that the officers had gone through thick and thin in the service, adding that most of them were already nicknamed owing to their commitment to duty.

    The promotion from Comptroller to Assistant Comptroller General comes from a different perspective in addition to merit and hard work. 

    He told them that the few that were selected should be grateful to God. 

    Ali said that “this is the first time I will take responsibility of selecting the management. Your failure will be my failure so I pray you don’t let me down.”

  • Oil: Egina to add 200,000bpd to Nigerian production

    Oil: Egina to add 200,000bpd to Nigerian production

    Deputy Managing Director of Total, a principal partner of the Egina Project, Mr. Ahmadu Musa-Kida, said when completed by Q4 2018, the Egina Project would produce additional 200,000bpd to Nigeria’s daily crude oil production.

    The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Group Managing Director, Dr. Maikanti Baru, had said that the corporation will accelerate local capacity development in all its operations within the nation’s Oil and Gas industry.

    He spoke while delivering a keynote address during an occasion to mark the Egina Manifold Sail Away celebration in Port Harcourt yesterday.

    But shedding more light on the Project, Chairman of Aveon Offshore Limited, Mr. Tein George said the project, which gulped over $30m worth of investments, was delivered ahead of schedule with zero Loss Time Injury (LTI) in about 5.5 million man-hours.

    The corporation’s Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Mr. Ndu Ughamadu disclosed this in a statement yesterday.

    The statement said that Sanctioned by the NNPC in 2013, the Egina Project is the first Deepwater Project after the enactment of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Content Development (NOGID) Act of 2010.

    Adjudged the first of its kind in Nigeria, each of the 6-slots Egina production manifolds has a lifespan of 25 years subsea. While the load-out of the first set of three (3) manifolds was carried out in July 2017, the load-out of the second and final set of three Manifolds was witnessed Tuesday.

    In crude oil production, the manifold is the gathering point designed to permit the use of pump-down tools, provide for individual well tests, handle injection of chemicals for inhibition of corrosion as well as provide for artificial lift and control.

    As a partner in the Egina Project, the NNPC in 2013, alongside four other companies (TUPNI, SAPETRO, Petrobras, and CNOOC), contracted the construction of the Subsea Production Systems (SPS) module for the project to FMC Technologies (FMC), which later sub-contracted the fabrication and load-out of six manifolds to a fully-indigenous local fabrication company, Aveon Offshore Ltd, a development the GMD said justifieed NNPC’s commitment to promoting local capacity in the nation’s Oil and Gas Industry.

    Baru said : “By getting involved in this laudable feat, NNPC has not only demonstrated the growing efficacy of the Nigerian Content Act, it has also reaffirmed the Corporation’s commitment to local content development.”

    “We are strongly committed to the successful implementation of all provisions of this Act to improve and accelerate local capacity development in all NNPC’s projects,” he added.

    According to the GMD, the Nigerian Content Act has given rise to a number of opportunities within the industry which include the emergence of new local vendors and suppliers; training and mentoring of young engineers; improvement of artisanal and other new skill sets critical to the industry.

     Baru further observed that the NNPC would always support initiatives aimed at domesticating the ample opportunities in the Oil and Gas Industry which promise to improve thousands of lives in the country.

    “There will be room for more of these opportunities in the nearest future as we are fully committed and determined to achieving sustainable domestication of a large percentage of the other modules on the Egina project. We will continue to touch your lives in many more positive ways,” he assured.

     He called on all stakeholders within the local content community to sustain the tempo of promoting the huge impact by replicating similar new projects on a larger scale across the industry.

    He explained that today’s event was a continuation of NNPC’s unflinching commitment to the Egina Project, following similar involvement in September last year where the Load-out ceremony of the Egina Umbilicals, Flowlines and Riser (UFR) module was recorded at the Saipem Yard in Port Harcourt.

    “This event, among others, testifies that our race to first oil from Egina field by Q4, 2018 is guaranteed,” he noted.

    He reiterated that the construction of the SPS module for Egina Project has placed the Oil industry ahead in the quest to promote “Made in Nigeria Goods and Services”, as championed by the Federal Government.

    In his remarks, Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development & Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Engr. Simbi Wabote, lauded the Egina Project for promoting local content, stressing that the project was capable of integrating Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) in Nigeria.

  • GenCos to NERC: add stranded 2,000MW to capacity

    GenCos to NERC: add stranded 2,000MW to capacity

    The electricity Generation Companies (GenCos) on Monday urged the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to classify the stranded 2,000Mega Watts as part of the available generation capacity in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI).

    The commission, according to its presentation on the review of the Multi-Year Tariff Order (MYTO) methodology by Senior Manager, Market and Rate, Abbah Tera, takes generation capacity as one of the criteria for review of tariff.

    Responding to the presentation, the Executive Secretary, Association of Power Generation Companies (APGC), Mrs. Joy Ogaji, said that that the stranded capacity is not utilized does not mean that it is not produced by the generation companies.

    She noted that there is enough gas but the only constraint its cost, stressing that the GenCos should not suffer owing to the stranded power. 

    Her words: “We are not saying we don’t have enough generation. The only constraint that Nigeria is having is the cost of gas. We have over 2,000MW sitting. The over 2,000Mw should be treated, it is available. GenCos should not suffer for it . In line with the review NERC should capture the stranded capacity.”

    Some of the stakeholders urged the commission to privatize the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) since it is obvious that the Federal Government which operates has proven inefficient.

    The Commissioner of Engineering Performance and Monitoring, Prof. Frank Okafor, however explained that the cost of funding the transmission network is too enormous for a private company to raise for the operation of the system.

    “It will be difficult to get investors that will fund the TCN,” he submitted.

    Besides, he said that it might be difficult to secure the right of way for the network since it transverse so many states of the federation. 

    According to him, government is borrowing from multilateral financial agencies to expand the grid since the amount of power delivery is not sufficient to raise the required revenue.

    The commission maintained that it has met with the TCN and DisCos in order to deliver the stranded power to consumers.

    Owing to the appreciation of stranded generation, NERC said that Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola has directed it to sell power to eligible customers. 

    NERC however informed the stakeholders that it has already got the go ahead to enact a regulation that will encourage willing seller and willing buyer of electricity. 

    NERC Vice President pointed out that the event was not for a tariff increase but for the commission to get stakeholders’ inputs on (the frequency of the review) how often the review should be carried out. 

    The stakeholders were also divided on whether the tariff should be reviewed bi-annually, monthly or yearly.

    NERC carries out a major review tariff review every five years and minor review every six months. 

    But speaking representative of Mainstream Energy, Solutions Limited, Musa Abba Bajoga, asked the commission to following the global practice to “do what is done universally.”

    The President Hotel Owners Association of Nigeria, Dr. Ezeh Udeh told the commission to consider a yearly review since hotel rates are not reviewed monthly and that any price that rises in the country hardly falls. 

    Network of Electricity Consumers Advocacy of Nigeria (NECAN), Tommy Akingbogun, told the commission not to use its rate to kill investors. 

  • TCN appoints personnel to interface with DisCos

    In an effort to resolve and minimize technical challenges, expand the load and promptly attend to Distribution interface issues, the Management of Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), has appointed Focal Person to interface with DisCos in order to ensure that the DisCos take more power to the consumers. 

    The Focal Persons were inaugurated recently at the TCN Corporate Headquarters, Abuja.

    In a statement signed by the General Manager (Public Affairs), Ndidi Mbah, TCN noted that management decided to appoint interface Focal Persons in order to upscale power delivery to distribution load centers nationwide.

    The appointees include; Engr. L. C. Okalla, AGM (T), Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC), Engr. Jude Agupusi, AGM (SO), Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHEDC), Engr. A. O. Balogun AGM (T), Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBDC), Engr. C. Iwuamadi, AGM (T) and Engr. S. O. Omoragbon, AGM (SO)  for Eko and Ikeja Distribution companies respectively.

    Others are, Engr. Balarabe Abdullahi, AGM (SO), Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDC), Engr. M. S. Nuhu, PM (T), Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company (KEDC), Engr. A. O. Labaran AGM (SO), Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) and Engr. M. I. Tijani AGM (SO), Benin Electricity  Distribution Company (BEDC), while Engr. M. D. Ahmed, PM (T) Jos Sub Region and Engr. Tijani Ahmadu PM (T), Jos and Yola Electricity Distribution companies respectively.

    According to the statement, the Terms of Reference, for the Focal Persons are to liaise with DisCos daily as representatives of TCN on all DisCos/TCN interface issues, resolve the issues as soon as they occur.

    The statement further emphasized TCN’s commitment towards improving her wheeling capacity and at the same time maintaining cordial relationship with all the stakeholders in assuring that Nigerians enjoy a more stable electricity supply.

    The meeting was attended by Executive Management, Regional General Managers, Regional Operations Managers and other key staff of TCN.

  • AEDC sensitizes students on safe use of electricity

    AEDC sensitizes students on safe use of electricity

    Officials of Nasarawa Region of Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) have taken the company’s health, safety and environment (HSE) campaign to the Ta’al Model Nursery, Primary and Secondary School in Lafia, the capital of Nasarawa State, where they admonished the scholars to avoid playing around electrical wires and also advise their parents not to build under high tension power lines.

    Addressing the pupils and students after the distribution of 500 notebooks bearing safety messages at the school’s premises, the AEDC’s Nasarawa Regional Manager, Alhaji Ameen Shakur said that while electricity has several benefits for human existence and comfort, it is also a dangerous product if not properly handled.

    “We recognize and appreciate children as you happen to be leaders of tomorrow. This is why we have brought this awareness and simple safety tips to your school so that you can have adequate knowledge of measures to take on how electrical accident can be prevented.

    The campaign of today is to further assure you that you have a right to live an accident free life if the tips are obeyed,” said Shakur who was represented by the Regional Corporate Communications Officer, Mr. Rotimi Omisore.

    A statement issued by Ahmed Shekarau, the company’s Head of Public Relations & Media at the weekend, said the Regional Manager also told the youngsters that as potential workers and users of electricity, the AEDC deliberately targeted them with its HSE campaign so that they began to have knowledge of how electrical accidents can be avoided.

    The statement said Shakur also disclosed that the donation of books was part of AEDC’s 2017 Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) projects, and that the choice of the school was to further actualize the commitment of the Nasarawa State Government to the education of the teeming youths in the state.

    Responding on behalf of the school, Principal of the secondary section, Mallam Hamza Maina expressed gratitude to AEDC for the gesture and for selecting the school out of many in the state, and assured the company that the management of the school would also ensure electrical safety as part of its curriculum.

    The statement said under its 2017 CSR projects, AEDC is among other things distributing a total of 20,000 exercise books to students and pupils in FCT, Kogi, Nasarawa and Niger states in order to introduce safe usage of electricity to young Nigerians. Similar HSE campaigns were carried out at the LEA Primary School in Wuse Zone 3, Abuja, as well as the Kofar Hausa Primary School in Keffi, Nasarawa State.

  • Denmark to guarantee 10% of NNPC financing of feeds production

    Denmark to guarantee 10% of NNPC financing of feeds production

    The Danish Government will guarantee a 10 per cent equity financing of a Joint Venture Company involving the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and a Danish firm, Unibio A/S Limited.

    The proposed JV Company would be engaged in the production of animal feeds from Nigeria’s abundant natural gas resources through conversion of methane gas into protein and has no negative impact for human consumption.

    The animal feeds industry in Nigeria accounts for N800 billion annually.

    NNPC Group Managing Director, Dr. Maikanti Baru, who made this known on Wednesday in Abuja when he received a Delegation from Denmark led by the Danish Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Torben Gettermann, said such collaboration would have positive impact on the Nigerian economy in the area of revenue generation, food security and job creation.

    The Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Mr. Ndu Ughamadu, broke this news in a statement yesterday. 

    Represented by the NNPC’s Chief Operating Officer, Ventures, Dr. Babatunde Adeniran, the GMD said that NNPC was considering partnership with the Danish company to utilize the abundant natural gas resources in the country for the production of animal feeds as part of its diversification agenda into non-oil ventures like other national oil companies to generate additional revenue for the country.

    NNPC signs deal with Denmark
    L: Danish Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Torben Gettermann at the NNPC office.

    “This proposal, though it is coming newly, has already started gaining traction in the industry and across the globe especially in Europe. Nigeria being the first point of call in Africa, we can leverage on the opportunity to increase the revenue of the country through local food production,” Dr. Baru stated.

    The GMD described the project as laudable, saying it was capable of making positive impact on the country’s economy, adding that the Corporation would look at the proposal holistically to ensure that Nigeria drives maximum benefit from it.

    Dr. Baru applauded the Federal Government for providing an enabling business environment which has already started attracting investors into the country.

    Speaking at the meeting, the Danish Ambassador to Nigeria, Gettermann, stated that Unibio had revolutionized natural gas conversion into animal feeds.

    “There are huge possibilities in view of the demands for this kind of feeds and it will boost food production in Nigeria tremendously. The benefits are not only in local production and consumption of the feeds but also in terms of revenue generation in foreign currencies through export,” Mr. Gettermann stated.

    He said Nigeria was an important partner to the Danish Government both politically and economically, adding that the Danish Government had established a special office in Lagos to facilitate trade relationship between the two countries.

    Shedding more light on the proposal, the Chief Executive Officer of Unibio A/S Limited, Mr. Henrik Busch-Larsen stated that his company owned the right to a unique fermentation technology known as U-Loop Technology which enables natural gas conversion into a highly concentrated protein product called Uniprotein.

    Busch-Larsen said the product could be used to feed such animals as pigs, poultry, and fish.

    Mr. Busch-Larsen explained that Uniprotein had a raw protein content of at least 72% which is a key component in animal feeds and can conveniently substitute the traditional proteins in animal feeds such as fishmeal and soybeans.

    Multinational food/care products companies as Nestlé, Procter and Gamble, (P&G) and Colgate-Palmolive, he noted, had already started using the products as feedstock.

  • Oil production dips to 1.3mbd over vandalism, says NNPC

    Oil production dips to 1.3mbd over vandalism, says NNPC

    The Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr. Maikanti Baru, has said that an average of 700,000bpd of crude oil was deferred in 2016 due to pipeline sabotage, saying this brought Nigeria’s production down to as low as 1.3 million barrels per day from 2.2 million barrels targeted for the period.

    The NNPC GMD, who stated this in a keynote address at the maiden edition of the Nigerian International Pipeline Technology and Security Conference (NIPITECS 2017) in Abuja yesterday, said Year-To-Date 2017, NNPC had recorded twenty–seven (27) breaching incidents on the Trans Niger Pipeline (TNP), adding that for the Trans Forcados Pipeline (TFP) with a capacity of 300,000bpd, seventeen (17) breaches were recorded in 2016.

    He declared that Year-To-Date 2017, NNPC had suffered at least fifteen (15) breaching incidents on the TFP, while charging members of the Pipeline Professionals’ Association of Nigeria (PLAN) to conduct a systematic diagnosis of the pipelines system in Nigeria and come up with sustainable and actionable solutions to the menace of pipeline vandalism in the country.

    The Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Mr. Ndu Ughamadu disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday.

    He urged all key players to rally round the Pipeline Professionals to proffer solutions to the pipeline vandalism challenge as it posed a great threat to the Nigerian economy in terms of revenue loss and environmental degradation.

    The statement quoted Baru as saying that: “The foregoing summarizes the effect of pipeline vandalism and therefore underscores the importance of protecting our pipeline system and treating them as National Assets… On the strength of that, we must endeavor to carry out a systematic diagnosis and proffer workable, practicable and actionable solutions that will guarantee sustainability of pipeline infrastructure.”

    He listed some of the measures deployed by NNPC to stem the tide of pipeline vandalism to include: Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) technology to bury pipelines deeper to prevent easy accessibility; technology-based pipeline surveillance mechanism with capability to detect, alert and deny access; and aerial monitoring and marine patrols by the Military Joint Tax Force (JTF).

    Dr. Baru further said government was working out a political solution to the socially-induced-agitation sabotage while the law enforcement agencies had been empowered to deal with those who engage in pipeline vandalism out of criminality such as oil theft.

    Speaking earlier on the significance of the conference, Chairman of PLAN, Engr. Geoff Onuoha, said considering the critical role of pipelines to the entire value chain of the oil and gas industry, there was need for a forum like NIPITECS to bring professionals and stakeholders together to brainstorm and share knowledge and technology.

    The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Engr. Simbi Wabote, who also spoke at the occasion, said the Board was working hard to boost local production of pipes, adding that its efforts were already yielding dividends as Nigeria now has two world class pipe mills in full operation.

    On his part, the Director General of Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), Engr. Chidi Izuwah, challenged industry players to tap into the opportunities in Public Private Partnership (PPP) to boost pipeline and other infrastructures in the country.

  • Gencos yet to access N701b power loan – Ogaji

    Gencos yet to access N701b power loan – Ogaji

    • Generating firms record N893b revenue shortfall

    The Electricity Generation Companies otherwise known as (GenCos) are yet to access the power sector N701billion assurance guarantee funds, owing to their inability to meet the Federal Government conditions for it, it was learnt on Monday. 

    The Executive Secretary, Association of Power Generation Companies (APGC), Mrs. Joy Ogaji told The Nation in her Abuja office that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has put a snag of about 10 conditions precedent to accessing the funds which none of the the power generating firms had met. 

    She said that: “Well, to the best of my knowledge, the fund has not been accessed, and as at today (Monday) this morning, they have not yet met the conditions, we call it conditions precedents (CPs) which the CBN gave them to meet. 

    “They are about 10 CPs and they have not met them. And until they meet them, CBN said they cannot release the money.”

    The Minister of Power Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola had on August 14, in the last power sector meeting in Kano State announced that some of the policies, programmees, actions which have started taking effect include payment of assurance guarantee of N701 billion.

    But Ogaji noted that the federal government placed the conditions after conducting its due diligence prior to the approval of the Federal Executive Council (FEC).

    Responding to the Minister of Power Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola’s announcement that any GenCo could invest in meeting, she said the most important thing is to put the right framework for the investors to recoup their money. 

    According to her, from  2013 that the GenCos took over the companies to September 2017, they have recorded a cumulative shortfall from N893billion.

    She explained that “the GenCos have a lot of money at stake in the sector. From 2013 to 2016, were are being owed over N650billion . Then January this year to September if you check an invoice shortfall of about N27billion, you know exactly how much we are owed.”

    Ogaji said that gas is not a major challenge to power generation at the moment, adding that most of the stations have gas waiting to generate power but the transmission networks are too weak to take extra power. 

    The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), according to her, has just invited the GenCos to a consultative forum on eligible customers that would hold in the six geo-political zones starting on Wednesday in Lagos.  

    All the GenCos have cordial relationships with their host communities where the plants are sited. However, once we are in the raining seasons the hydros have overflowing dams and because the network is preventing them from generating to optimum capacity there is a possibility of water spillage which will affect the communities . I am aware of some communities complaining that the spillage is affecting them. As you know flood is been around everywhere not only in Nigeria. So, the government needs to focus more in the network so that we can generate at optimum capacity and prevent such spillages. There is a community close to Kainji but I don’t know the name.”

  • Petrol prices to dip as Nigeria exit recession – IPMAN

    Petrol prices to dip as Nigeria exit recession – IPMAN

    The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Vice National President, Alhaji Abubakar Maigandi Monday forecast that following the nation’s exit from recession, the prices of the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) also known as petrol will dip further very soon.

    Speaking with The Nation on phone, he said that the economy will now improve for more people to buy and drive more car, which is bound to increase the turnover of some of the petrol stations and further attract more marketers to supply more and drag down the prices of petrol.

    His words: “Now that Nigeria is out of recession, more people will be able to buy cars and demand for petrol to drive them. The demand will attract petrol marketers to supply to a glut level that will further dip the pump prices.”

    The forces of demand and supply and their inherent competition have already crashed the pump prices to N139 per litre in A.A. Rano on Kubwa expressway, Abuja, N140 per litre in Shema on the same road while other marketers sell for N142.

    All the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) affiliate stations have however pegged their prices at N143 per liter while other major marketers as Total and others still sell at the maximum band of N145 per liter.

    Customers have apparently abandoned those selling for N145 per litre to a matter of last alternative, especially for visitors and taxis that run out of fuel completely.

    Maigandi commended the federal government on the provision of an enabling environment that led to the interplay of the market fundamentals that crashed the pump prices.

    He also commended the government on the policies that have culminated in easy access to the petrol, adding that “it is no longer difficult to get it in any filling station.”

    Maigandi noted that selling above pump price has suddenly become history as customers no longer buy from such marketers.

    He however had his reservation concerning the manner that the NNPC market kerosene and diesel, saying that their sales are still characterized by corrupt practices.

    According to him, marketers cannot access the products without going through the middlemen that cut corners in the depots across the country.

    He lamented that the Petroleum Equalization Fund (PEF) is still owing the marketers billions of Naira as cost of bridging different products.

  • 50% of NNPC staff undergo anti-fraud training

    50% of NNPC staff undergo anti-fraud training

    The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) will equip 50 per cent of its work force with requisite knowledge on how to identify and examine fraud as part of measures to stamp out corruption from its system.

    The Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Dr. Maikanti Baru, made this commitment on yesterday in Abuja while receiving a delegation of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (CFE), Abuja Chapter, led by its President, Mr. Ishili Emmanuel.

    The GMD said training staff on fraud examination would ensure that NNPC was not involved in the five per cent annual global revenue loss to fraud.

    A statement of the Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Mr. Ndu Ughamadu disclosed this in a statement yesterday.

    The statement quoted Baru as saying that: “We will seize the opportunity offered by the CFE to train at least 50 percent of our staff on fraud examination. We do know that there are a lot of advantages in getting as many staff as possible trained in fraud examination.”

    He explained that as the major foreign exchange earner for the country, NNPC was very conscious of issues of corruption in all its ramifications and had gone beyond looking at corruption in terms of money alone.

    “NNPC under my leadership has instituted what we call Governance, Risk and Compliance Division which is very much in line with the mission of CFE. The Division is not only looking at corruption in terms of naira and kobo but also at the system itself. The new Division will ensure that fraud did not manifest in our system and if does, it would be quickly nipped in the bud,” he said.

    He stated that corruption was a major waster of human resources as staff found culpable were usually prosecuted and sacked, adding that it was better to train them on fraud and safeguard them.

    The GMD said the Corporation was at the vanguard of providing support to anti-corruption agencies in the country by providing them with necessary information on cases involving its employees and other relevant third parties.

    “We have been using the anti-corruption bodies effectively. Particularly, we have very strong collaboration with the ICPC,” the GMD stated, stressing that during his stint as the Chairman of the NNPC Anti-corruption Committee, they saw the need to train and certify fraud examiners which was why the current and long-standing secretary of the committee was a certified fraud examiner with about ten others that have completed their training and were awaiting certification from the American body.

    The GMD directed the GRC Division to immediately commence the process of registering NNPC as a corporate member of the CFE, urging the body to avail the corporation of all the opportunities therein in its fight against corruption.

    Speaking earlier, the President of CFE, Abuja Chapter, Mr Ishili Emmanuel, stated that the NNPC as the apex oil and gas company in the country ought to have a robust human asset capability to deal with many of the unique socio-economic development challenges within the oil and gas industry.

    He applauded the GMD for his tenacity and commitment to fighting corruption since assuming duty as the helmsman of the corporation.

    Mr. Emmanuel stated that by joining the CFE as a corporate member, the NNPC stood to benefit from the pool of unlimited anti-fraud resources like other world class organizations around the world.

    He explained that the membership of the anti-corruption body would make a bold statement about the Corporation’s integrity, capacity and willingness to entrench the culture of transparency and anti-corruption in its system.

    The GMD was also conferred with a fellowship of the association and decorated with its prestigious lapel pin.