FG to Scrap NNPC, DPR, PPPRA, others

Sir: I write in response to your front page lead story of Monday, November 14, 2016 headlined FG to Scrap NNPC, DPR, PPPRA, others to correct the impression that a final decision has been taken on the creation of a single regulatory agency for the petroleum industry to be known as Petroleum Regulatory Commission which will consequently lead to the scrapping of the NNPC, DPR, PPPRA and other existing regulatory agencies.

Quoting from the provisions of the draft National Oil Policy and the draft National Gas Policy widely in circulation now for your story, you reached a dangerous conclusion on a matter that is still being deliberated and debated upon before a final decision is taken on it by the appropriate organ of the Federal Government.

The Ministry of Petroleum wishes to state that no final decision has yet been taken on the idea of scrapping the NNPC and other parastatals and agencies of the petroleum sector mentioned in your story.

The ideas contained in the two key policy documents which media of mass communication and stakeholders have, remain tentative. They will become policy plans of government only after they undergo the necessary processes. We invite stakeholders to note that boldly written on the two documents is the word DRAFT and as we all know, a draft is a document that is subject to further amendments, reviews or even rejection.

We wish to let Nigerians and concerned foreigners know that between November15, and 16 and 17 a stakeholders’ consultation meeting is taking place at the PTDF Corporate Headquarters Office in Abuja on the draft National Oil Policy and draft Gas Policy to robustly debate the ideas contained in them.

Even when they have been thoroughly debated nothing definitive can be said yet for the outcome of this two-day meeting will be presented to the highest decision-making body in the country, the Federal Executive Council (FEC), for consideration. It is only the pronouncement of the FEC that will make the draft become policy and working documents for the Ministry of Petroleum Resources to reform the petroleum sector.

For the avoidance of doubt, we wish to reiterate the fact that what the media and many others now have are a draft policy on oil and gas and are meant to sensitise

Nigerians and others on some of the policy options being mooted to rejig that critical sector. It is after the FEC has deliberated on the matter that the nation will have a definitive policy on how to reform the sector and what needs to be done
to achieve that objective.
Idang Alibi,
Director, Press and Public Relations,Ministry of Petroleum Resources,
FCT, Abuja