The National Assembly has thrown its weight behind Nigeria National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited’s ongoing efforts to boost Nigeria’s crude oil production and grow its reserves.
The efforts comprised stiffer consequences for crude oil thieves and vandals of the nation’s critical hydrocarbon infrastructure.
NNPC Ltd spokesperson, Olufemi Soneye, disclosed this on Wednesday in Abuja, saying the NASS made its position known when its Joint Committees on Petroleum Resources (Upstream) paid an oversight visit to the NNPC Upstream Investment Management Services (NUIMS).
The chairmen of the joint committees, Sen. Eteng Williams and Rep. Alhassan Doguwa led other members on the visit.
The legislators said the menace of crude oil theft and vandalism of critical oil and gas infrastructure were major challenges to Nigeria’s revenue generation and budget targets, which must be curtailed.
Williams said it was imperative for the NASS to through legislation stop crude oil theft and increase Nigeria’s crude oil production.
He said from what they found at NUIMS, it is duty-bound on the legislature to come up with decisive measures that will help the government to achieve its set targets in the oil and gas sector.
Also speaking, Doguwa said by virtue of their duties as a legislature, lawmakers would fast-track the strengthening of a legislative framework to check the excesses bedeviling the nation’s oil and gas sector.
He said “More needs to be done to ensure the company increases Nigeria’s crude oil production and grow its reserves. The legislature will consider deploying the stick and carrot approach toward addressing the issue.
“But, where it becomes necessary, the stick approach must be emphasised to rise vehemently against any encumbrance standing in the way of Nigeria’s economic growth and development.”
