Youth Leader Tasks FG On Illegal Refineries

A youth leader in the Niger Delta region, Sammy George, has urged the Federal Government to review its approach on the issue of illegal refineries in the country.
George, a former Vice Chairman, Eastern Zone of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) made the call in the interview with The Tide in Port Harcourt last Saturday.
He said, instead of discouraging their activities, it would be more beneficial to both the government and the people if operators of the illegal refineries were properly coordinated by the government.
He explained that if they were officially provided crude and trained on how to raise the standard of their operation it would provide revenue, employment opportunities as well as check the issue of huge importation and scarcity of petroleum products facing the nation.
He further noted that better integration will also go a long way in reducing the environmental impact of the activities of the illegal refineries as well as regulatory agencies who equally burn their equipment.
The youth leader who commented on the issue of militancy in the region said proper integration of the militants in security of the pipelines and oil installations would bring an end to the problem.
When voted in as National Vice President of the Congress, George said he would initiate seminars, and youth programmes that would sensitize the youth in the region so that they could collaborate with security agencies and other relevant institutions for peace and security in the region.
According to him, any arrangement that does not carry along the youth of the region in the safeguarding of the oil and gas critical infrastructure may not bring the much desired result.
He maintained that the challenges of sea piracy, oil theft and vandalism would be drastically reduced if youth of the region were integrated and carried along in the scheme of things.
George said his interest to run for National Vice President of IYC is to advance and re-orientate the minds of Ijaw youths towards the principles of Godliness, honesty and service oriented leadership and that strategies would be designed to take advantage of the huge socio-economic potentials in the area to better the people.

Chris Oluoh