Connect with us

Business

Oil Theft: Navy Chief Accuses IOCs

Published

on

International oil companies (IOCs) operating in Nigeria have been accused of complicity in the theft of the country’s crude oil.
Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Usman Jibrin, made the accusation while speaking at a meeting of the top leadership of the Navy and the managing directors/chief executive officers of the IOCs in Abuja on Wednesday.
He also said that the Navy would not pretend about the involvement of the oil firms in crude oil theft.
Jibrin said it took him seven and a half months since his appointment to call the first meeting between the Navy and the firms to discuss serious issues of concern in the oil sector, which included oil theft and illegal bunkering.
The Navy boss also explained that he made it clear that the CEOs should attend the meeting in person without representation because of the need to discuss the issues, which he described as disturbing, but regretted that the request was ignored.
Jibrin said some of the oil firms had deliberately left the manifolds of their oil wells open for years without conscious efforts to close them in spite of the fact that only experts had the capacity to reopen closed manifolds.
He warned that the Navy would ensure the arrest of executives of the IOCs who decided to leave the manifolds of their wells open for years without closing them.
He also threatened to deal with any naval officer found to have been involved in the criminal theft of the nation’s oil resources in accordance with the laws guiding the Armed Forces of Nigeria.
The CNS warned that the Navy would go beyond accusing the firms to mentioning names of those suspected to be involved in the theft of the nation’s resources.
Jibrin wondered why the oil chiefs had not given the expected cooperation in the bid to seek a concerted solution to the raging issue of oil theft.
He said the time had come for the oil firms and the security agencies to seek solutions to the issue of oil theft in the country.
Jibrin said, “This is the first meeting I am having with the oil firms to discuss the issue of oil theft and illegal bunkering. It took us seven and half months to call this meeting, and specifically, we said we don’t want representation.
“We have a serious challenge and we need the commitment of the CEOs to discuss oil theft. It has become worrisome that we have not been able to check the issue of oil wells. It has got to a point that instead of pointing accusing fingers, we will mention names, including those of the major stakeholders.
“We cannot pretend that the oil companies do not have a hand in some of these illegalities; pretending is to allow it to continue. We will not pretend. I can start by citing some examples; some companies have left their oil wells opened for years and have done nothing to close them up. Because of the technical nature of the manifolds, once they are closed, only the experts can open them. Why have they been left open for years?”
He added, “I have pictures here. Why is it that all of us cannot sit down at a round table and provide a solution? Why are we denting the image of this country? It has come to a point that we must meet, discuss and provide solutions to issues pertaining to oil theft.
“Government is worried and those of us who are agents of the government are also worried. On my part, if any of my personnel is involved, they will be dealt with adequately in accordance with the existing law of the Armed Forces.
“I have decided that I will take some steps that if the manifolds are left open for years and our attention is drawn to the need for it to be closed, we will look for and start arresting officials of the oil companies who own that and left them without taking appropriate action.”
He said that the government was taking the issue of oil theft seriously because of the loss of revenue and the inimical effects of oil theft on the environment.
Responding on behalf of the firms, the Chairman, Oil Producer Trading Services, Mr. Ayobami Olubiyi, said that the companies had also taken steps to curb the threat of oil theft.
He recalled that the Federal Government set up an ad-hoc committee on the subject, with some funds released to address the pressing issues some months ago.
He said that men of the Nigerian Navy were involved in securing the operations of the oil firm in the Niger Delta and Lagos.
Olubiyi said, “It is not just the Nigerian Navy but all who have been supporting our business. And I also want to assure you that concerning oil theft, we have taken a lot of steps. That is why in the last couple of months, an ad-hoc committee was set up by the Federal Government to look into this, and I am aware that some money had been released to help curtail this situation.
“We will continue to advocate a true platform; and as you are aware, we have a number of your officers and men who have been supporting our operations in the Delta, including Lagos. They have been very professional in the way and manner they carry out this operation; and together with the CNS, I am sure we will all be able to work to ensure that we mitigate this very unfortunate situation in our country today.”

Chairman, Rivers State Board of Internal Revenue, Onene Osila Obele Oshoko (standing), fielding questions from lawmakers when the board members appeared before the House in Port Harcourt recently. With her are State Commissioner for Finance, Dr. Chamberlain Peterside (left) and Special Adviser to the Governor on Revenue Generation, Chief Nwankwo Nwankwo.

Chairman, Rivers State Board of Internal Revenue, Onene Osila Obele Oshoko (standing), fielding questions from lawmakers when the board members appeared before the House in Port Harcourt recently. With her are State Commissioner for Finance, Dr. Chamberlain Peterside (left) and Special Adviser to the Governor on Revenue Generation, Chief Nwankwo Nwankwo.

Continue Reading

Business

Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

Published

on

Kenya made it a clean sweep at the Berlin Marathon with Sabastian Sawe winning the men’s race and Rosemary Wanjiru triumphing in the women’s.

Sawe finished in two hours, two minutes and 16 seconds to make it three wins in his first three marathons.

The 30-year-old, who was victorious at this year’s London Marathon, set a sizzling pace as he left the field behind and ran much of the race surrounded only by his pacesetters.

Japan’s Akasaki Akira came second after a powerful latter half of the race, finishing almost four minutes behind Sawe, while Ethiopia’s Chimdessa Debele followed in third.

“I did my best and I am happy for this performance,” said Sawe.

“I am so happy for this year. I felt well but you cannot change the weather. Next year will be better.”

Sawe had Kelvin Kiptum’s 2023 world record of 2:00:35 in his sights when he reached halfway in 1:00:12, but faded towards the end.

In the women’s race, Wanjiru sped away from the lead pack after 25 kilometers before finishing in 2:21:05.

Ethiopia’s Dera Dida followed three seconds behind Wanjiru, with Azmera Gebru, also of Ethiopia, coming third in 2:21:29.

Wanjiru’s time was 12 minutes slower than compatriot Ruth Chepng’etich’s world record of 2:09:56, which she set in Chicago in 2024.

 

Continue Reading

Business

NIS Ends Decentralised Passport Production After 62 Years

Published

on

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has officially ended passport production at multiple centres, transitioning to a single, centralised system for the first time in 62 years.
Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, made the disclosure during an inspection of the Nigeria’s new Centralised Passport Personalisation Centre at the NIS Headquarters in Abuja, last Thursday.
He stated that since the establishment of NIS in 1963, Nigeria had never operated a central passport production centre, until now, marking a major reform milestone.
“The project is 100 per cent ready. Nigeria can now be more productive and efficient in delivering passport services,” Tunji-Ojo said.
He explained that old machines could only produce 250 to 300 passports daily, but the new system had a capacity of 4,500 to 5,000 passports every day.
“With this, NIS can now meet daily demands within just four to five hours of operation,” he added, describing it as a game-changer for passport processing in Nigeria.
“We promised two-week delivery, and we’re now pushing for one week.
“Automation and optimisation are crucial for keeping this promise to Nigerians,” the minister said.
He noted that centralisation, in line with global standards, would improve uniformity and enhance the overall integrity of Nigerian travel documents worldwide.
Tunji-Ojo described the development as a step toward bringing services closer to Nigerians while driving a culture of efficiency and total passport system reform.
According to him, the centralised production system aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s reform agenda, boosting NIS capacity and changing the narrative for improved service delivery.
Continue Reading

Business

FG To Roll Out Digital Public Infrastructure, Data Exchange, Next Year 

Published

on

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has announced plans to roll out Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and the Nigerian Data Exchange (NGDX) platforms across key sectors of the economy, starting in early 2026.
Director of E-Government and Digital Economy at NITDA, Dr. Salisu Kaka, made the disclosure in Abuja during a stakeholder review session of the DPI and NGDX drafts at the Digital Public Infrastructure Live Event.
The forum, themed “Advancing Nigeria’s Digital Public Infrastructure through Standards, Data Exchange and e-Government Transformation,” brought together regulators, state governments, and private sector stakeholders to harmonise inputs for building inclusive, secure, and interoperable systems for governance and service delivery.
According to Kaka, Nigeria already has several foundational elements in place, including national identity systems and digital payment platforms.
What remains is the establishment of the data exchange framework, which he said would be finalised by the end of 2025.
“Before the end of this year and by next year we will be fully ready with the foundational element, and we start dropping the use cases across sectors,” Kaka explained.
He stressed that the federal government recognises the autonomy of states urging them to align with national standards.
“If the states can model and reflect what happens at the national level, then we can have a 360-degree view of the whole data exchange across the country and drive all-of-government processes,” he added.
Continue Reading

Trending