How To Check Oil Theft – Okorocha, Peterside

Imo State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha and the Chairman of House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum Downstream, Dakuku Peterside have called for a multi-dimensional approach to tackle the swelling crude oil theft in the country.
Speaking to newsmen after a stakeholders bilateral meeting between officials of the United States and Nigeria yesterday in Port Harcourt, both Okorocha and Peterside lamented that the menace was taking huge toll on the nation’s economy.
Okorocha said while it was commendable to hold meetings to find solutions to the problem, it was also important that major issues be addressed, especially the need to overhaul the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
He also suggested the need to give state governors more powers to strenghten security in their states, and blamed over -centralization of security apparatus as a major bane for effective policing of oil installations.
The Imo State governor further commenting on the need to reform the NNPC said, “there is need to reorganise the NNPC completely and states and other stakeholders to have representation to actually know what is happening in that NNPC since every one of us depends on that very source of income while awaiting the diversification of our economy. I believe that the NNPC is not properly run as it is now.”
Okorocha further called on foreign countries who buy stolen crude to stop, lamenting that international collaborators encourage sabotage to the Nigerian economy.
He however recommended that security powers be given to state governors who are on ground in their state to mobilise all apparatus to check the menace.
On his part, Hon. Peterside called for more synergy between countries and states. He also called for political will on the part of government.
The House Committee Chairman on Petroleum Sector warned that if the situation was allowed to continue then the country’s infrastructural, social, educational and health programmes would grind to a halt.
“The whole of Nigeria is concerned about the issue of oil bunkering because it is affecting our economy. It is affecting how much we are bringing to the common pool,” Peterside remarked.
He recommended the cutting of international links since most of those who steal oil on industrial scale do so at a very high level.
While calling on all stakeholders to be alive in checking the menace, Peterside stressed that government must also show political will, since there were indications that some politicians are involved in oil theft to save money for 2015 elections.
Meanwhile one person was reportedly burnt to death weekend in the deep mangrove creek of Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State when suspected oil thieves set abalaze an oil facility belonging to the Nigerian Agip Oil Company NAOC.
The incident, it was learnt, occurred along the creek of Igbomotoru community of the council area, known for its high concentration of illegal refinery camps tucked away in the dense mangrove swamp.
Though the identity of the deceased could not be ascertained, he is believed to be a member of an illegal bunkering and oil theft syndicate in the area.
It was reliably learnt that scores of other oil thieves suffered various degrees of burns while the company had deployed two swamp buggies to the area to contain the raging inferno.
The facility is a delivery trunk line from Ogboinbiri flow station to the company facility in Brass on the Atlantic shore.
Contacted, the Media Co-ordinator of the JTF, Col, Onyenma Nwanchukwu, confirmed that there was an explosion in the area, “information reaching us confirmed that there was actually a blast on the NAOC Agip riser. “The cause has so far been attributed to possible sabotage by some disgruntled elements who have grievances with the operations of oil companies in the area,” he said.
Meanwhile, the elders and youth leaders of the Brass Communities of Twon Brass, Okpoama and Odioma in Bayelsa State have commended the Nigeria Agip Oil Company over the quick response of the company and the immediate clean up of oil spillage from its pipeline in the area.
A socio-economic group, the Brass League of Friends, weekend confirmed that the oil company, Nigeria Agip Oil Company (NOAC), have commenced the clean-up exercise of affected communities.
The group, in a statement issued by its patron, Hon. Israel Sunny-Igoli, stated that a tour of the affected area showed that the officials of Agip had swiftly responded to the report of the spillage along the coastline of Brass.

Vice President Namadi Sambo (left), receiving a souvenir from the Secretary-General, Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry, Malaysia, Mohammed Abdullahi, during a courtesy call on the Vice President by ministers of agriculture of D-8 countries in Abuja last Friday. With them are, Minister of Agriculture, Dr Akinwunmi Adesina (right) and Deputy Chief of Staff to Vice President , Alhaji Abubakar Kachalla.