Governor T.A. Orji assures the protection of pipeline in Abia State

Governor Theodore Orji says his administration has put in place machinery to check pipeline vandalism in the state. He was speaking at a gala nite he organized for the chairman and members of the house committee on Petroleum Resources, down stream at the banquet hall of the government house, Umuahia.
He said that his administration is seriously fighting the menace because it is detrimental to the state’s economy.
Chief Orji said that apart from deploying members of the state vigilante group to monitor the pipelines, it is coming out with other measures to safeguard the pipelines.
He stated that kidnappers who were dislodged from their nefarious activities went into pipeline breakages and stated that his government was not leaving any stone unturned to stop them.
The governor who disclosed that the oil derivation to the state dropped drastically due to pipeline vandalism said the state boasts of oil reserves in parts of the state including Ukwa West, Ugwunagbo and Bende.
According to him, the state was looking for investors who will partner with the state to explore opportunities in the oil sector.
He appealed to Abians to manage the natural resource wella and not allow oil to bring trouble to them.
Earlier in his speech, the chairman of the committee, Hon Dagogo Peterside said they were in the state for their oversite function adding that they will inspect oil and gas facilities while  in the state.
He said that pipeline vandalism has led to a drop in allocation  disclosing that the country is loosing a minimum of 400,000 barrels of crude oil daily to pipeline vandalism and appealed to Abia governor to help by deploying apparatus to help stem the ugly trend instead of allowing few individuals eat what belongs to all of us.
Hon. Peterside said that his committee will see how to make budgetary provision to help the running of the Aba NNPC depot and used the forum to applaud Abia sons and daughters in the house of Representatives for being vibrant and described them as worthy ambassadors of the state.
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