Group Promises To Tackle Oil Theft

A group known as the Association of Surface Tank Oil and Gas Retailers, (ASTOGRN), says it will work with other stakeholders to fight the menace of oil theft in the Niger Delta.
Chairperson of the group in Rivers State, Comrade Patience Uche who spoke with The Tide in an interview in Port Harcourt at the weekend said the body has inaugurated a special committee to work with other stakeholders to address issues of oil theft and pipeline vandalism. She said statistics had revealed that oil bunkering activities and pipeline vandalisation in the Niger Delta cost the Federal Government about N5.9bn annually.
Apart from the huge loss in revenue she said oil bunkering and pipeline vandalisation has also resulted in the colossal loss of lives as most of the vandals are always consumed in pipeline explosions during the bunkering exercises.
Comrade Uche who decried the increasing involvement of youths in illegal bunkering activities advocated for a more proactive and corrective measure to bring lasting solution to the vice.
According to her part of the solution is the building of modular refineries in the Niger Delta and developing the capacities of youths in the region to be actively involved in the oil and gas industry. “Most of the youths who get involved in illegal  oil bunkering and lose their lives in the process could have played a more creative and productive role in the oil and gas industry if they were functionally trained. The Federal Government should be serious about the establishment of modular refineries and the training of youths to participate in the process, this will go along a way to tackle the challenges of illegal bunkering in the Niger Delta”
She said the major drive of the Association was to make oil and gas bussines rural based, “to improve the socio-economic and general living conditions of its members”
She said the Association will achieve the targets by encouraging its members to have out licences from the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) to be actively involved in the oil and gas bussines. She pointed out that the initiative will also reduce petroleum supplies from foreign marketers through importation of products, and kill the spirit of bunkering from vandals as well as increase the Federal Government Revenue on Surface  Tank Retails bussines in Nigeria.

By: Taneh Beemene