By Yemie Adeoye
IN order to support the Federal Government’s aspiration in its quest to guarantee uninterrupted power supply to Nigerians the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, has implored Total Nigeria Plc to participate actively in the area of gas supply to domestic power plants across the country.

Group Managing Director of the Corporation, Engr. Austen Oniwon made the call on Tuesday when the Chairman of Total Exploration and Production cum Vice President of Total Group Africa, Mr. Jacques Marraud Des Grottes paid him a courtesy visit at the NNPC Towers Abuja.

Engr. Oniwon stressed that for the Federal Government to achieve its aim on the power reform, there is every need for the Oil Companies operating in the Country to contribute their quota through gas supply to the power plants.    “I want to implore Total Nigeria and other International Oil Companies doing business in the country to partner with the NNPC in ensuring sufficient gas supply to the domestic power plants as this will help the Federal Government achieve its aspiration on power,” Engr. Oniwon submitted.

He commended Total Nigeria for its vast investments in the Upstream and Downstream petroleum sector of the Country and sued for further partnership between the Corporation and the Company that would guarantee value added commodity for export.

The NNPC helmsman assured the Total Group of the commitment of NNPC to grow the oil and gas industry of Nigeria noting that the ongoing transformation programme of the Corporation would transform it into a commercially driven Organisation that could compete favourably with other Integrated National Oil Companies.

Engr. Oniwon maintained that the Petroleum Industry Bill currently before the National Assembly if passed would transform the NNPC into an Organization that would cease to be the apron string of Government and would become profit oriented in all its transactions.

In his response, the Chairman and Vice President of the Total Group Africa, Mr. Jacques Marraud Des Grottes assured of his companies continuous investment in the Country revealing that Total invest about $2bn annually in Nigeria and would continue to do so post PIB.

He lauded the Federal Government for restoring peace in the Niger delta through its amnesty programme and expressed the willingness of Total Group to support the Federal Government in maintaining the status quo to guarantee further investment in the Country.

Mr. Grottes commended the NNPC for providing a conducive and harmonious working relationship for his company and pledged to provide on the job training for some young Engineers in the Corporation both in Nigeria and Europe as part of his companies collaboration with the NNPC.