Amaechi Blames FG For Rising Oil Theft

L-R: Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission, Prof. Julius Okojie, Director-General, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Alhaji Bature Masari and Vice Chancellor, Kaduna State University, Prof. Barnabas Qurix, signing an MoU on network of African students entrepreneurship development programme in Abuja, recently.

Rivers State Governor, Rt. Hon Chibuike Amaechi has given knocks on the Federal Government over its failure to curb the rising oil theft in the country.
Speaking during a courtesy call by the United Kingdom’s Minister for Africa and Parliamentary Undersecretary, Mr .Marx Simmonds in Government House yesterday in Port Harcourt, Amaechi accused the federal authorities of not being sincere in reducing the menace.
He told the UK minister for Africa that for two years now the Federal Government has refused to allow two helicopters purchased by Rivers State Government in the surveillance and monitoring of oil installations.
According to him, “I don’t know how much you have seen about oil theft, and I don’t know if the Federal Government is serious about combating oil theft. Why I say this is that for two years now, the Federal Government has refused entry into the country, two surveillance helicopters paid for by the Rivers State Government.
“These helicopters have cameras and their job is to fly all over and whomever that is stealing oil, you will see. And the helicopter will have a monitor with the Army, Police, Air Force and with the Department of State Security (DSS) ….,” he said.
Amaechi insisted that country’s problem is not only oil theft, but the continued financial diversion pointing out that the alleged missing $49.8billion had been spent without appropriation.
“While I join you in the cause to fight oil theft, they should also deal with the issue of financial diversion’’ he added.
Earlier, Mr. Simmonds had disclosed that he was in the state to appraise the state of UK investment in Rivers State, particularly in the oil sector following recent challenges.
He lamented the high level of environmental degradation caused by oil theft, and further indicated the readiness of the United Kingdom to partner with Nigeria to work out positive modalities to tackle the menace.