The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) have expressed their readiness to work together to enlighten members of the 9th National Assembly on the need for the accelerated passage of oil and gas industry-related bills in order to create the right environment to attract more investments.
The accord was reached Thursday during a courtesy visit of the National Executive of the NGE led by its President, Mrs. Funke Egbemode, to the Group Managing Director of NNPC, Mallam Mele Kyari, at the NNPC Towers, Abuja.
A press statement signed by the corporation’s Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Ndu Ughamadu, quoted Mallam Kyari as saying that until and unless the petroleum legislation is passed, the volume of foreign investment flow into the country would not be as robust as it should be.
“The petroleum legislation has being lingering since 1999 and we are aware that the current Federal Government is committed to the passage of this very important legislation. We need the NGE’s help to get the petroleum bill passed through sufficient enlightenment of the National Assembly and all other stakeholders,” Mallam Kyari sued.
He said NNPC Management under his watch would enhance gas supply to the power and industrial sectors to boost the economy, adding that the oil and gas industry under his watch would promote the common good for all Nigerians.
The NNPC helmsman informed that NNPC would continue to work closely with the NGE to ensure a transparent and accountable industry, stressing that the Corporation must work for the economy to remain buoyant.
“We recognize that together with the NGE, we have work to do. We promised that we are going to be transparent and accountable to all our shareholders who are the over 180 million Nigerians. We have the responsibility to make sure that NNPC works for all of us”, he said.
Mallam Kyari stated that the visit of the NGE was the greatest honour on the corporation by the journalism profession, maintaining that the profession’s role in nation building was key to providing policy direction and guide for people in power.
On her part, the President of the NGE, Mrs. Egbemode, said the Guild would collaborate with the new management of NNPC by providing credible platforms that would enable the corporation to always inform Nigerians and the world about its mandate.
She praised the corporation’s Spokesman, Ughamadu, for the enormous support to the Guild over the years, stressing that as a Fellow of the Guild his professional dexterity had contributed a lot to repositioning the NNPC in a positive light.
