By Etuka Sunday
The Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr.MaikantiBaru, has assured of the corporation’s commitment to securing funding for the completion of a new head office of the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC), one of the flagship upstream subsidiary companies of the corporation.
Dr.Baru gave the assurance Tuesday while leading NPDC’s Board Members on an inspection tour of the new office building in Benin, Edo State.
The GMD, who described the new head office building as world-class, said work on the project had currently reached 92% completion and would continue once the necessary approvals for the project’s re-design have been sought from relevant authorities.
It would be recalled that the project, which commenced in August 2012, was billed to be completed by 2014. However, following enhancements on the initial designs, the project cost and delivery schedule increased, thereby requiring further approvals to go ahead with its execution.
“We are making effort to get the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) to give us the certificate of no-objection to enable the Federal Executive Council’s approval of the variations. Once we obtain those approvals, we can remobilize the contractor fully. In a week’s time or so, we look forward to meeting the BPP’s requirements to enable us obtain FEC approval towards the project completion,” he noted.
The Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, NduUghamaduin a statement quoted Dr.Baruto have charged that the project should be completed as soon as possible, stressing that now, most of what was left borders around Information and Communication Technology (ICT) facilities installations, which, he said, were a very vital component in modern buildings and especially for an upstream operator like the NPDC.
Located along the Airport/Ogba Road in the heart of Benin City, the new NPDC head office building consists of a training centre that will accommodate 250 persons at peak periods.
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