NNPC denies planning to relocate the headquarters of its gas subsidiary to Abuja from Warri

NIGERIAN National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) officials have denied planning to relocate the headquarters if their subsidiary the Nigerian Gas Marketing Company (NGMC) to Abuja from Warri.

As part of its plans to regenerate the oil-producing Niger Delta region and provide jobs there, the NNPC has been locating its offices in the region of late. Last week, it was rumoured that the corporation planned to move its gas subsidiary to Abuja, creating tension among local people in the Niger Delta, who feared the job loses this would entail.

Denying the rumour, however, Ndu Ughamadu, the NNPC's general manager public affairs, said that the purported plans to spend N120m as yearly rent and another N294m to relocate the NGMC to Abuja were false and should be discountenanced by members of the public. He added that the clarification was imperative because of a misleading report on the purported relocation and the allocation of the huge sums of money for that purpose as broadcast on social media.

Mr Ughamadu described the misinformation by the group as malicious and capable of inciting the public, particularly NGMC’s host communities, against the company. He added that the NNPC and its subsidiaries have no plans to leave the Niger Delta.

“NGMC remains committed to staying and executing it business operations in the Niger Delta. The company is poised to sustaining the existing relations between it and its esteemed stakeholders and members of the public,” Mr Ughamadu added.