Deputy majority leader of the House of Representatives, Peter Akpatason has commended the NNPC Ltd. and non-state actors for ensuring security of oil facilities in oil producing states.

Mr Akpatason, in a statement said this in Abuja on Friday after leading a delegation alongside the Chairman of the House Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream), Sariki Arda, on a three-day oversight function to riverine areas of Delta.

The legislator said the security of oil facilities at the region had resulted in increased crude oil production.

Mr Akpatason commended President Muhammadu Buhari’s regime, the Nigerian Navy and Tantita Security Service Nigeria Ltd. for the success, stressing the need for regime to look into offshore oil theft.

He acknowledged the successes recorded in the crude oil production as a result of signing the pipeline surveillance contract with Tantita, owned by Government Tompolo.

“Our mission is to evaluate the situation and to be able to make contribution in legislative terms towards ameliorating the situation and in this case the Niger Delta. In particular, towards enhancing the capacity of this nation to produce and sell oil,” he said. “We should be able to fund the budget and to promote development of both human capital and infrastructure of this country.’’

Mr Akpatason said the oversight had helped to visit different sites, including oil production facilities, pipelines, well-heads and flow stations.

He said as a result of the recent partnership between Tantita and NNPC, the country had seen significant improvement in the ability of this country to produce hydrocarbon.

He said this was basically the major foreign earnings for the country.

He said that as concerned citizens, whatever should be done to ensure improvement in the nation’s capacity to earn income for development should be done.

He said this would also reduce borrowing, which had become a thing of concern to many Nigerians and the effort must be supported.

“I want to assure you that the Ninth Assembly is going to cooperate with you, we are going to give all necessary support to all the government agencies that are involved to secure these facilities,” said Mr Akpatason.

(NAN)