Some Individuals Encouraging Illegal Refiners, Group Alleges

A Niger Delta group, under the aegis of Domestic Refinery Owners Association of Nigeria (DROAN), has alleged that some individuals and organisations are negotiating and encouraging illegal refiners to continue with the unwholesome business.
National Chairman of DROAN, Mr Godwin Sunday, stated that while addressing journalists last Saturday at the end of their meeting in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State capital.
Sunday also alleged that some stakeholders were negotiating with some illegal refiners for percentage with a promise not to expose them, thereby encouraging them to go back to the creeks to continue with the illegal business.
He, therefore, appealed to the Federal government not to further delay the promise of establishing modular refineries in the Niger Delta, as well as integrating illegal refiners into the mainstream of the Petroleum sector.
He stated: “We are concerned that some individuals, agencies, organisations are setting up task force and committees with the sole aim and intent of aiding and abetting illegal oil refining, theft and pipeline vandalism.
“Government at all levels should investigate the activities of these individuals and organisations. We condemn it in its totality. We also call on the entire people of the Niger Delta to condemn this unpatriotic act.
“And we are appealing to the Federal Government to fulfil its own promise of establishing modular refineries in the nine states of the Niger Delta and integration of illegal refiners (kpo fire boys) into the mainstream of petroleum sector to curb further environmental degradation, pipeline vandalism, illegal refining, and youth restiveness.
“On our part we have fulfilled our promise that we will not go back to the creeks and we have stopped illegal oil refining. So we expect that in no distant time, government should also implement those things it promised us”
Sunday, however, hailed President Muhammadu Buhari for removing subsidy on petrol products, noting that at 60 years, Nigeria should not be importing petroleum products from other countries.
“We salute the courage of the Federal Government led by President Muhammadu Buhari to bring the petrol subsidy regime to an end. We are appealing to Nigerians to support this decision of the government. If at 60, we are still importing petroleum products, it is very bad. It is unacceptable to us.
“We believe that better days are ahead because the subsidy money will now be channeled into other key sectors like education, health and infrastructural development”,  he noted.