Business
Crude Oil Theft: Jonathan Seeks Eiti’s Support
President Goodluck
Jonathan on Monday urged the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) to do more to support efforts by the Federal Government to stop the exportation of stolen crude oil from Nigeria.
The president made the request when the Chairperson of EITI, Ms. Claire Short, paid him a visit at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
He called on EITI to join the Federal Government in working to ensure that refineries that received stolen crude oil from Nigeria were identified and punished.
“The efforts of EITI in criminalising ‘blood diamonds’ from African mines have helped in curtailing that illegal business. “I urge you to also support Nigeria as we confront the forces stealing Nigerian crude oil. The theft of crude oil from Nigeria involves the collusion of foreigners and the stolen crude is refined abroad. EITI can use its mechanisms to help us track down the thieves and those who receive the stolen crude oil,” he said.
The president observed that Africa was losing a lot through leakages in the mining and extractive industry.
He urged Short and her colleagues at EITI to help to end the exploitation of Africans and African nations by multinational companies engaged in the extraction of the continent’s immense natural resources.
The president said that an expanded inter-ministerial committee would be inaugurated next week to ensure greater synergy in EITI’s investigations.
He said that the committee would also facilitate the implementation of EITI’s recommendations for greater probity in Nigeria’s oil industry.