Commercial motorcyclists queuing to purchase petrol at a filling station in Madalla, as scarcity of the commodity continues in Niger, recently.

The former Chairman,
Delta State Waterways Security, Chief Ayirimi Emami, says it is only when necessary measures are put in place to make life easier for people living in the riverine oil-producing communities that the Federal Government’s war against pipelines vandalism and other oil and gas related crimes would record expected success.
Ayirimi disclosed this Saturday while speaking with journalists in Warri, the Delta State capital.
He said a situation where the communities continue to live under uncomfortable situation with high level of youth unemployment, the fight against vandalism of oil and gas infrastructure would continue to have challenges.
According to him, “far from applying force-of arms to shut out the vandals the whole idea is to ensure that the oil and gas being taken from the region make meaning in the lives of the host communities.
“The gas Nigeria produces supplies electricity to several parts of the country, but the communities from where it is being extracted don’t have electricity to use. The crude oil from the land is refined into fuel but there are no fuel distribution outlets to serve riverine communities; so they perpetually buy from black marketers”, he said.
He noted that the problem about fuel scarcity was because of recent irregularity in importation and regretted that year in year out, coastal communities in the Niger Delta region never get fuel at the normal pump price.
Ayirimi disclosed further that his campaign which he intends to unfold soon, aims at ensuring adequate provision of infrastructure  and opportunities in the oil-producing environment, adding that putting desired infrastructure  in place would give the host communities a sense of belonging.
He maintained that vandalism would end if comfortable environment and job opportunities were provided to the youths.

Chris Oluoh