Oil theft: Military accuses IOCs of sabotage
Operation Delta Safe, a military operation launched in 2016 by the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Gabriel Olonishakin to protect oil facilities and installations in the Niger Delta, has accused major oil producing companies in the country of sabotaging their efforts to checkmate oil theft.
Theatre commander of the operation, Air Vice Marshal A. Akirinade who made the allegations at an investigative hearing organised by the House of Representatives’ ad hoc committee on oil theft yesterday in Abuja, said the international oil companies (IOCs) are the major reason why oil theft is still subsisting in the country.
He said the military operation would have been able to reduce oil theft to the barest minimum, but for the sabotage of the IOCs in Nigeria that had vowed not to cooperate with the operation.
While commending the efforts of Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) on tackling oil theft, he accused the other major oil companies notably NAOC, Chevron, Exxon-Mobil and Total of sabotaging their operation on oil theft.
He called on the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to compel these oil companies to improve their governance structure of their pipelines.
The commander also harped on the need for a speedy approval of the National Economic Council (NEC) recommendations on strategies for curtailment of oil theft in Nigeria.
While declaring open the investigation, Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila lamented that crude oil theft and the attendant damage to oil and gas assets across the country destroy the environment.
He said: “The crime puts the lives of our citizens at risk and undercuts government’s revenue and compromises government’s ability to meet our nation’s developmental challenges. It is the worst kind of economic sabotage for which there is no viable defence or excuse.
“Those who engage in these acts of sabotage do so with the full awareness that their actions are inimical to the continued viability of the Nigerian state, yet they persist.”
According to him, “Their persistence in this nefarious conduct must motivate the rest of us who bear the consequences of their actions to act in unison to identify those responsible and ensure that they are fully held accountable as allowed by law.
“It is estimated in some quarters that crude oil theft in Nigeria costs us about 400,000 barrels per day. At a time when global oil prices are in free fall, this is a substantial loss that we cannot afford and must no longer abide.
“There have been several interventions by the Federal Government to prevent crude oil theft in the country. The House of Representatives and Senate have, at various times, conducted investigations into the matter.
“Yet, the situation persists. What are we not getting right? What do we need to do going forward?”
Meanwhile, an indigenous oil company, Oriental Energy Limited, has decried the amount of crude oil theft in Nigeria on a daily basis.
Managing Director of the company, Ignatius Folarin, while proffering lasting solution to the challenge of oil theft, had noted that over 400,000 litres of petrol, which translates to 2,000 trailers of petroleum products, is lost daily to theft.
Similarly, Chairman of the House Ad-hoc Committee, Peter Akpatason, said that oil theft cannot continue to go on unhindered without the active connivance of the military and other security agents.
Culled from newtelegraphng.com
