No plans to relocate NGC headquarter from N’Delta – NNPC

Uche Usim, Abuja

Anxious Niger Delta indigenes have once again been reassured by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) that it has no plan to relocate the headquarters of its subsidiary, Nigerian Gas Company (NGC) from its present location in Delta State to somewhere outside the region.

The reassurance, contained in a press release issued by the Spokesman of NNPC, Ndu Ughamadu, sprang from concerns raised by the Deputy President of the Senate, Sen. Ovie Omo-Agege at the weekend where he condemned alleged moves by the Corporation to relocate NGC headquarters from the Niger Delta region to Abuja.

Describing Omo-Agege’s concerns as unfortunate, the NNPC called on the NGC host communities and other stakeholders to disregard the relocation tale which it described as totally false.

The Corporation maintained that the Deputy President of the Senate may have either been misinformed or was quoted out of context noting that the subject of relocation of NGC was never on the table for deliberation by the NNPC management.

The Corporation assured that the focus of the current NNPC management under the headship of Mallam Mele Kyari is to ensure a harmonious relationship with stakeholders and host communities in such a way as to entrench a win-win scenario for all concerned.

Recall that the Deputy President of the Senate Ovie Omo-Agege at the weekend urged oil companies operating in the Niger-Delta region to relocate their headquarters to the region.

Mr. Yomi Odunuga, his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity in a statement said that Omo-Agege made the call in his home-Orogun-in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta.

Omo-Agege said that there was a need for oil companies that left the region to return, given the prevailing peace and accelerating development in the region.

He reiterated his concern about the alleged plot to move the headquarters of the Nigerian Gas Company Ltd. in Ekpan-Warri to Abuja.

He said that the relocation of the headquarters of oil multinational companies to the Niger Delta would speed up development of the area, create job opportunities for youths and reinforce the atmosphere of peace in the region.

He said: “I’m sure the message has been sent that they cannot move, they must remain,” he said.