Victor AHIUMA-YOUNG

WORKERS of the Pipelines and Product Marketing Company Limited, PPMC, have commended the Prince Haruna Momoh-led, management for repositioning the company, which is aimed at ensuring steady supply of petroleum products to the market.

Gas Pipeline

Speaking under the platform of PPMC Workers’ Forum, PWF, the workers noted that the repositioning improved on processes and systems in a bid to increase efficiency and maximise cost.

A statement from the Forum called on all stakeholders to give the management all the needed support to move PPMC, a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, to the next level.

According to PWF, “the downstream oil and gas sector is a major driver of the economy of this nation. It is the lifeline of the domestic economy, which deals with the supply and distribution chain of petroleum products in the country. It is therefore a vital part of the socio-economic activity of our nation. That is why it is very sensitive and any challenge facing the sector is felt by all and sundry. The subsidiary is often misunderstood and is always being bashed, even when the heat is not supposed to be turned on it.

“But in recent times, the PPMC has evolved. A lot of work has been done to re-position its activities towards ensuring steady supply of petroleum products to the nooks and crannies of the nation. It has continued to improve on processes and systems as a means to increase efficiency and maximise cost. In retrospect, the PPMC was set up principally to provide excellent customer services by transporting crude oil to the refineries and transporting petroleum products to the existing markets efficiently and future markets efficiently and at low cost through a safe and well maintained network of pipelines and depots.

“Under the leadership of Prince Haruna Momoh, the scenario has changed through a total overhaul and transformation of the distribution chain. The era of queues at filling stations has been completely eradicated. The idea of panic buying during festive periods has also become history, because of abundance of petroleum products.

The statement added, “the PPMC as at now also operates fleet of marine vessels for movement of products along the coastal waters from Port Harcourt and Warri to Lagos, and from Port Harcourt to Calabar. The major achievements so far recorded at ensuring products supply under this administration is the interventionist programme which include upgrade of its infrastructure.

“So far, the Port Harcourt product line had been rehabilitated and the Warri-Benin product line that was abandoned for over a decade has been revived. The Aba depot that had hitherto been moribund for over ten years has come on stream and re-commissioned. Petroleum products are now received in Benin and Aba depots. The Aba-Enugu product pipeline is also receiving attention. As at now petroleum products are been pumped to Kano, Suleja, Jos, Minna, Gusau in the North.

“In the South-West, Mosimi, Ejigbo, Atlas Cove, and Ore are receiving petroleum products. The organisation, despite the challenges posed by vandalism has also been able to achieve 80 percent flow of products because of measures put in place. PPMC under Prince Momoh has consolidated on the rehabilitation of pipelines by opening up the Kaduna-Jos-Gombe exist.

“In the area of tackling vandalism of pipelines, Momoh and his team have been able to curtail their activities by responding quick to repairs and installation of CCTV’s in 22 strategic locations around the country, including the Calabar jetty and depot.

“In 2012 alone, it recorded 774 vandalised points within three months, from August-October, 2012, from Atlas Cove to Ilorin depot, from Atlas Cove to Mosimi depot, it recorded over 180 breakpoints. Despite these challenges, the PPMC had sustained petroleum products supply across the country through shared determination and increased level of activities.

Continuing, PWF explained that to stem these tides, “the PPMC built extension platforms over swamps so that security forces can have easy access to the right of way. It has also built watchtowers and Police Posts along the Pipelines right of ways.