Oil Theft: NUPENG, TUC Finger JTF …Task Force Denies Complicity, Destroys Illegal Refinery In Tai

The Joint Military Taskforce (JTF) code-named Operation Pulo
Shield, has come under attack by two labour unions, the National Union of
Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC).

They are accusing the JTF in the Niger Delta of complicity
in the oil theft saga in the region.

The President of NUPENG, Achese Igwe in a chat with newsmen,
yesterday, accused the taskforce of carrying out destruction of illegal
petroleum refineries, and challenged the joint troop to come out and exonerate
itself of the crime.

Said he: “The truth is that our security agents are involved
in the issues of bunkering and vandalisation of pipelines. My concern here is
that those of them who are always out to burn the trucks and shoot trucks at
sight and so on are involved in the bunkering activities that are going on at
the various points they claim that this thing is  happening”.

The NUPENG boss told The Tide that to tackle the oil theft
issue in Nigeria, government should also prosecute the agencies for their
involvement in the crime while rehabilitating the nation’s oil refineries.

His counterpart in the Trade Union Congress,  Rivers State, Chika Onuegbu, in a statement
in Port Harcourt said that the war against oil theft in the Niger Delta may not
achieve much unless effort is made to stop the collaboration of some skilled
personnel and criminal gangs in the region that are involved in stealing the
nation’s wealth.

The TUC chairman urged the military to ensure that its
officers are not under the  cover for oil
theft, saying that the helicopters that overfly in the Niger Delta reveal that
those involved in oil bunkering are not in hiding.

“What one can be very sure of is that if you see a
helicopter overflying within the Niger Delta waters, you see many of these
barges for illegal bunkering. Then the question is, if JTF has been operating
the way they say they are operating, how come these people are doing these
things in their hiding?”

“I remember we said that this is a business that is very
profitable, so it’s a partnership that only those who are not involved are
pointed out by the JTF. Our view is that it is not as if the JTF as an
organisation is doing the business but there are some officers of JTF that are
in active connivance with these illegal bunkerers”

The TUC boss called on the JTF to look into why the stealing
of the nation’s wealth continued despite military operations to stop it.

But in a swift reaction yesterday, the taskforce spokesman,
Lt Col Onyema Nwachukwu said it is regrettable that while the JTF and its
troops are seriously engaged in fighting illegal oil bunkering, people are busy
making unfounded accusations..

Lt Col. Onyema said in Port Harcourt that its personnel were
not involved in any form of illegal bunkering.

He said the task force had been carrying out its duties and
assignments in line with the mandate outlined by the Federal Government.

Onyema described the allegations by TUC and NUPENG as
“campaign of calumny” and “mudslinging”.

Onyema challenged
anybody or group with proof of the involvement of JTF personnel in the said oil
theft in the Niger Delta to come up with it.

He said two weeks ago, an illegal bunkerer with links in
Lebanon, was arrested by the task force in Sangana, Bayelsa State after its
personnel rejected an offer of $30,300 from him.

Meanwhile, men of the Nigerian Mobile Police Force (MPF),
Squadron 56 Saakpenwa in Tai Local Government Area, Rivers State, yesterday
destroyed an illegal refinery operated in the area by unknown persons.

The illegal refinery, which has a 2000mega tons capacity
occupied an estimated landscape of one square kilometer, and located two miles
away from the council’s secretariat  in
Saakpenwa, headquarters of the local government council.

Speaking to journalists, the Squadron Commander, Mopol 56,
CSP Olumese Valentine, said destruction of the illegal refinery took place
yesterday morning.

He disclosed that at about 6am yesterday, his men were
mobilized to the area where they discovered that it was an illegal refinery
that caught fire.

The MPF boss further disclosed that one person who was seen
around the vicinity was arrested, while two others ran away, adding that
intensive search  has been mounted for
the arrest of the fleeing members of the gang.

He stated that the suspect had been taken to the Criminal
Investigation Department (CID) at the police headquarters for further
interrogations, adding that the suspect has made useful confession to the
police on the identity of their sponsors.

Shedie Okpara