Gov. Theodore Orji of Abia has said that the state will continue to partner with the Federal Government to bring democracy dividends to the people.<\/p>\n
Orji said at the re-opening of the NNPC depot in Osisioma, near Aba, on Monday that the partnership had ensured adequate security and returned normal business activities to Aba.<\/p>\n
He said the state was already enjoying the recently inaugurated power station that supplied electricity to Umuahia and its environs.<\/p>\n
He commended President Goodluck Jonathan, National Assembly members from the state and all those who contributed to bring the depot back on stream.<\/p>\n
“Thanks to the Federal Government for this partnership, the depot has remained the backbone of the state\u2019s economy.<\/p>\n
“A great relief from NNPC; we appreciate what is happening today as life and business activities have returned to the state.<\/p>\n
“We thank all who have made it happen,\u2019\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n
Orji gave an assurance that the executive would work with the state House of Assembly to enact a law making pipeline vandalism and other economic sabotage offenses punishable by death.<\/p>\n
Orji appealed to the citizens, especially the traditional rulers, to help safeguard pipelines in their communities.<\/p>\n
Mr Haruna Momoh, Managing Director of Pipeline and Petroleum Marketing Company (PPMC), said the company had lost products worth N7.6 billion to pipeline vandals in the Port Harcourt – Aba segment since 2007.<\/p>\n
He said that about 1053 vandalized points had to be repaired on the 54km pipeline from Aba to Enugu alone during the period.<\/p>\n
He said that marketers and consumers in the South-East zone and some parts of Akwa-Ibom had suffered untold hardship because of the vandalized pipelines which forced the company to shut the depot.<\/p>\n
Momoh commended the Minister of Petroleum, Diezani Allison-Madueke; the Abia governor, Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika, National Assembly members from Abia and other stakeholders for ensuring speedy re-opening of the 33- year-old depot.<\/p>\n
The depot has a capacity for more than 133million petroleum products, including fuel, kerosene and diesel to serve Imo, Abia, Anambra and some of parts of Akwa Ibom.<\/p>\n
“The depot serves a as link for product evacuation from port Harcourt refinery through pipeline of about 54km to honour transmission to Enugu, Makurdi and Yola,\u2019\u2019 he said “Aba depot has been very important since its inception as it serves as the products distributorship to South-East and North- East of Nigeria.”<\/p>\n
Momoh, who said that more than 30 million litres of PMS was always available at the depot and assured the governor and independent marketers that the trend would be maintained so long as the pipelines were not vandalised.<\/p>\n
He said a brand new 500kva generating set and the latest metering system for the loading of products had been provided for the depot, adding that a fire truck had been deployed to the depot.<\/p>\n
Mr Andrew Yakubu, Group Managing Director of NNPC, said there would be a major transformation of the critical downstream sector of the economy.<\/p>\n
“While waiting for major transformation of the industry that the Petroleum Industry Bill when passed into law promises, the management would focus on revamping the critical downstream sector, especially the rehabilitation of strategic depots like Aba depot and pipelines,” Yakubu said (NAN)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Gov. Theodore Orji of Abia has said that the state will continue to partner with the Federal Government to bring democracy dividends to the people. Orji said at the re-opening…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1362,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1358","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n