The Group Managing Director of NNPC, Engr. Funsho Kupolokun disclosed that there is a long history of working collaboration between NNPC and the Nigerian Army to foster security in NNPC`s operations especially in the Niger-Delta, however, it has become important now more than ever due to the Niger-Delta unrests.

The GMD disclosed this when he, and the top management staff of NNPC received the newly appointed Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen. Awoeye A. Azazi at the NNPC Towers, Abuja during a courtesy visit on August 10, 2006. He said that Niger-Delta was a big challenge but together, the army and NNPC would meet the challenge. He lamented the substantive loss caused by the shut down of operations but was pleased that there have been a number of initiatives being put in place by the Federal Government – the Niger-Delta Stakeholders Forum which is led by President Olusegun Obasanjo himself. Those initiatives he said, had gone down well with the stakeholders including the militants.

 NNPC and the Joint Venture partners were also, carrying out development programmes in the region, Engr. Kupolokun said. He said, agreed, there was neglect before, but there has been an improvement and stated that the development programmes in the Niger-Delta between 1999 and the present were more than that of 1960 to 1999 which meant that more was achieved within a period of 7 years when the present administration came to power than the 40 years before then.

He said, the corporation was expected to do more and it was doing more. He added that if the yearnings in the region were addressed as at present, the situation would not have been like it was. He however, informed the visiting Chief of Army Staff that there was cooperation with the British, USA and the Gulf of Guinea Energy security to return normalcy to Niger-Delta.

On the achievement so far towards restoration of peace, the GMD said that prior to 1999, high incidences of operations shut down caused a deferment of about 300,000 barrels of oil per day (bopd) but due to government involvement, it went down substantially. Again, in 2003, cases of bunkering and vandalism caused a deferment of 150,000 bopd, however, with the help of the Army and Navy, since the past one and a half years, it has gone down to about 30,000 bopd.

Earlier on, the Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Azazi, who took over his position early June 2006 said the objective of his visit was to get together, know each other and to figure out how to work together on security issues during his tenure of office. He acknowledged the importance of oil in Nigeria`s economy and stated that since NNPC was synonymous with oil, it needed protection.

The army is a veritable arm of security, especially now with the on coming 2007 elections, he declared, a joint operations is therefore, important. He therefore, solicited for NNPC`s cooperation in extending its facilities for their operations such as fuel dumps so that fuel shortages or lack of it will not hamper their work.

Engr. Kupolokun congratulated Gen. Azazi on his appointment. He said NNPC would do all it could to work together, make the army`s work as easy as possible so as to return the Niger- Delta to normality.