BY MAYOWA SAMUEL
The Ijaw Monitoring Group has alleged that the menace of crude oil theft in the Niger Delta region that has been depriving the government of revenue from the sector is being organised and perpetuated by those in government with the full knowledge of security agencies.
Speaking with The Point on Sunday, the National Co-ordinator of the Group, Comrade Joseph Evah debunked the government’s allegation that it was the youths, women and traditional rulers in the region that are performing the illegal act, insisting they lacked the capacity to do such.
He said, “It is organised by people in government, the oil theft they are talking about. Have you listened to the Federal Government about the amount of money going out of the country from oil theft which is higher than the income from our oil revenue? Are you not ashamed that government officials will be shamelessly telling us that? This country, the more you look, the less you see.
“It is people that are in government that are stealing the crude oil. Those who brought the mighty ship, is it the local people in the villages and creeks, that will bring a mighty ship to come and steal oil? It is a cartel in the Presidency and all those DSS, military intelligence, they all know them. Let them reveal to us the people who destroyed our refineries. We will continue to speak out, this is our country that our children will live in.
“That cartel that is networking with the presidency to destroy our refinery from every government, they are also involved in the oil theft.
It’s the same cartel that is destroying the universities, that don’t want to listen to ASUU, they are also the ones providing private universities with their network to connect their people in Aso Rock and the security services. They are the same cartel that doesn’t want our refineries to work, and they are proud to be importing finished product, our crude, refining it outside. We are in big trouble.”
Evah added that it was sad that the government was not ashamed that it was importing the country’s refined product which can be done in the country, an act which he stated was the cause of the worsening poverty in the country.
“A presidency spokesman will open his mouth and tell you that it is the youths and village women that are stealing crude oil, that is making us not to make revenue. They cannot mention names because they are part of it. Even if Buhari goes tomorrow, I don’t know if it’s an angel that will go and be in that Aso Rock, because every government, whether it is Obasanjo government, Jonathan government, why the refineries cannot work, why the oil theft is going on is because people that are in the presidency will just make, whether it is spiritual candle that they are using to burn their head, so that anybody that is in government can even see the road. It’s so annoying. Angola is now ahead of us in oil production. So shameful.
“It is people that are in government that are stealing the crude oil. Those who brought the mighty ship, is it the local people in the villages and creeks, that will bring a mighty ship to come and steal oil?”
“Since Buhari was the one who built these refineries as the Minister of Petroleum during the Obasanjo government, I thought his coming for eight years, at least, for one thing to show that he knows about this oil matter. I thought he would put things in place and stop importing fuel, I thought we would stop sending our crude abroad, refining it and bringing it back. But he’s telling us there is nothing he can do. The poverty of Nigeria is that we are importing what we have. Also, our Naira is useless everyday. Can all these things happen in a sane country?” he asserted.
The Federal Government’s continued lackadaisical attitude towards curbing the menace of oil theft and pipeline vandalism has continued to attract indictments and criticisms.
A former General Manager, Corporate Planning and Business Development, Nigeria National Petroleum Company (NNPC), Engineer Babajide Soyode, on a TV interview last Monday, alleged that FG was against the refineries operating.
He stated this on the heels of the recent report of an oil vessel with three million barrels of crude that left the shores of Nigeria and intercepted in Equatorial Guinea. Soyode alleged that the government was more interested in producing fuel oils for bunker use, adding that the different security agencies should be held responsible for the continued oil theft in the nation.
He said, “Too many people are involved in the stealing of crude. The security agencies are aware of what is going on and decided to look the other way because they know there are powerful people involved and of course, they are also beneficiaries”.
“Do you know that one tanker with 3 million barrels capacity oil stolen from Nigeria translates to 300 million dollars in the international market at current rates? Who can’t those behind the stealing not bribe with that kind of money in a corrupt country like Nigeria?
“Imagine the case of the oil tanker with that capacity that was intercepted at Equatorial Guinea with Nigerian stolen crude. How come our Navy did not detect that the ship entered our waters illegally and left without proper documentation and clearance?” He queried.
Soyode challenged the National Petroleum Investment Management Services, NAPIMS, to explain why they have failed to monitor the sales of Nigeria crude, as the “NAPIMS is a Corporate Services Unit (CSU) in the Exploration and Production (E&P) Directorate of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation charged with the responsibility of managing Nigeria Government’s investment in the upstream sector of the oil and gas industry.”
He revealed that although there are qualified Nigerians willing to operate these refineries, especially in the NNPC, but the corruption at the top won’t allow that, saying, “We have good people in NNPC, but if the owner doesn’t want it to work, it won’t work.”
However, the Federal Government blamed “economic saboteurs” for the menace in the region. The Director-General, National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), Idris Musa, on Wednesday in Abuja, accused unnamed businessmen for the attack on oil pipelines for pecuniary gains but the government is working to fish out and punish the saboteurs.
Furthermore, the Rivers State NSCDC Commandant, Samuel Fadeyi, told the media last week that stolen products, which are mainly Automotive Gas Oil also known as diesel, were recovered within the last two weeks.
Also, the Area Controller, Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Seme Area Command, Bello Mohammed Jibo, last Wednesday, said it intercepted 3,998 jerry cans of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, in 30 litres each, equivalent to 119,940 litres, adding that the products were about four tanker loads of 33,000 litres each.
The Minority Caucus in the House of Assembly had also called for an investigation into the $40 million daily oil theft in the country, which has allegedly become an organised racket under the administration of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Additionally, the Presidential spokesperson, Malam Garba Shehu, on a TV programme on August 20 said, security operatives had raided locations where illegal oil bunkering thrives, as part of efforts to rid the country’s economy of sabotage, adding that there might be cases of some law enforcement agents engaging in the illegal act, but that new measures were being taken to curb that.
It will be recalled that earlier this month, the Nigerian Navy charged 13 of its officers and ratings before a General Court Martial at the Western Naval Command headquarters in Lagos for offenses ranging from conniving with crude oil thieves in some oil-producing communities in the Niger Delta, to pipeline vandalism amongst other maritime infractions, done with traditional leaders, to operate suspected illegal refineries to siphoned crude oil.
Director of Naval Information, Commodore AO Ayo-Vaughan earlier this month, disclosed that Naval Forces successfully foiled oil thievery, illegal oil bunkering, and pipeline vandalism and stealing of crude oil and its products worth over Twenty-Five Billion naira (N25,000,000) since April this year.
The Navy Commodore also revealed that they “destroyed 278 illegal refinery sites, arrested a total of 85 suspects, impounded 72 arrested boats, 23 vehicles and tankers, destroyed 127 illegal refinery ovens, destroyed 102 illegal refinery large pits, destroyed 148 illegal refinery storage tanks, recovered 41 outboard engine and 35 pumping machines.”
Also, he disclosed that “the Navy recovered 23.11million (110,102.59litres) of AGO, 39.66million liters’ of crude oil (230,882 barrels), 649. 775. 38 liters’ of DPK, 345,000.49 liters’ of PMS, 380,000 liters’ of Sludge and 66, 000 liters’ of LPFO.”
The police in the oil-rich region insist the menace of oil theft is being addressed as they have apprehended many of those involved in the oil theft and destruction of oil pipelines, while they are collaborating with leaders in the various communities in the region to ensure that the illegal act is brought to an end.
The Bayelsa State Police Spokesman, SP Asinim Butswat told The Point that “The police in the command has been constantly engaging community youths and stakeholders in the fight against pipeline vandalism and oil theft. We have recently even arrested some suspects who are now in custody and we’ll continue to intensify our efforts in ensuring that perpetrators of this act are arrested and prosecuted.
“We are receiving the support and cooperation of the traditional rulers and other community stakeholders in this regard. We’ll continue to ensure that we partner with relevant security agencies to make sure that perpetrators of these illegal activities are arrested, investigated and prosecuted,” he stated.
On his part, the Delta State Police spokesman, DSP Edafe Bright, stated, “We have the Command’s City Monitoring Team and they work in synergy with men of the Nigerian Civil Defense Corps to see that these people that are causing this menace are caught and brought to book.
“Though there are challenges but we are on it and I believe that sooner than later, a lot of them will be charged to court. Some of them have even been charged to court, even from the Civil Defense angle too, they’ve been doing their part while we are doing our part. It’s a challenging situation but the Command is equal, able and willing to tackle this menace and see that those people that are found wanting will be arrested and prosecuted,” he assured.
