The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) on Sunday in Abuja called on petroleum tanker drivers to call off their December 11 strike.

“While it is not the responsibility of the NNPC to build or rehabilitate roads, any disruption in the distribution of petroleum products will adversely affect the business of the NNPC.

“It will also endanger energy security, which the country has enjoyed for a long time now,’’ NNPC’s spokesperson, Garbadeen Muhammad, said in a statement.

He said the NNPC has initiated a process to quickly resolve the bad road challenges across the country, adding that it had expressed interest to invest in the reconstruction of select federal roads.

This, he said, would be done under the Federal Government’s Road Infrastructure Development and Refurbishment Investment Tax Credit Scheme.

“The thrust of the NNPC’s intervention is to make considerable funds available for the reconstruction of roads through its Future Tax Liability,” the NNPC spokesperson said. 

He said the corporation while recognising NUPENG’s legitimate concerns and the tanker drivers rights to a peaceful protest, however, was appealing to them to “reconsider their decision in overall national interest.” 

The NNPC asked the tanker drivers “to immediately call off the strike notice and give the current efforts by government and its agencies a chance to solve the challenges in the interest of all.

“We also wish to strongly advice Nigerians not to engage in panic buying of petroleum products as the NNPC has sufficient stock to last through this festive season and beyond,’’ Mr Muhammad stated.

(NAN)