Govt Sets up 89-man Team to Monitor Importation, Consumption of Petrol

The federal government has set up a team comprising of 89
persons to monitor the volume of petrol imported and consumed daily
in Nigeria.

The team, according to a statement from the Nigerian National
Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), was drawn from five key agencies
comprising the corporation itself, Department of Petroleum
Resources (DPR), Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency
(PPPRA), Petroleum Equalisation Fund (PEF), and Department of State
Services (DSS).

Their job, the statement, which was signed by the Acting Group
General Manager Public Affairs of the NNPC, Mr. Samson Makoji,
explained, would be to ensure transparency and accountability in
the distribution of petroleum products across the country.

It said the team code-named ‘Operation White’, was inaugurated
by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Mr. Timipre
Sylva, who reportedly noted that they would help to authenticate
the actual volume of products imported and consumed in the country
and ensure that Nigeria attained energy security.

Sylva equally observed that the initiative was long overdue for
the country and charged members of the team to carry out the
assignment with commitment, zeal and patriotism.

He stated that he was optimistic that the operation would stem
the smuggling of petroleum products by some unscrupulous operators,
stressing that the savings from the exercise would support
infrastructural development in the country.

He also recalled that few weeks after the closure of the
country’s land borders, daily petrol consumption dropped from 60
million litres to 52 million.

“I must say that I am very impressed with the caliber of the
team members of ‘Operation White’ and (I) am not surprised because
every organisation that I know is as strong as its leadership.

“The NNPC under the leadership of Mallam Mele Kyari epitomises
strong leadership. (I) am happy with the enthusiasm on the faces of
the members and I am sure that we will succeed,” said Sylva.

Similarly, the statement quoted the Group Managing Director of
NNPC, Mallam Mele Kyari, to have charged the team to deliver on the
task of controlling leakages of petroleum products, especially
petrol.

He said that ‘Operation White’ would monitor and track every
molecule of petroleum product imported into Nigeria as well as
follow it through to the pump.

According to him, the NNPC was poised to support the federal
government in its quest to guarantee energy security for
Nigeria.

Mele Kyari equally stated that the NNPC under his leadership
would continue to be transparent by ensuring that the entire
operations of the oil industry remained visible to all Nigerians
and all operators in line with his management’s vision of
Transparency, Accountability and Performance Excellence (TAPE).

“The selection of ‘Operation White’ team was very thorough, and
people of great competence and high level of integrity were
head-hunted for this national assignment. Today, we are good to go,
and we will see our transaction end-to-end as is the case in other
countries. We are poised to support the Minister to ensure that
energy security is guaranteed for our dear country so that our
principal, President Muhammadu Buhari, would be proud of us,” said
Mele Kyari.

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