President Tinubu has been called on to focus the fight against oil theft on the powerful oil cartel in Abuja, who are exploiting their positions and influence to rob the country of its resources.
Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara has criticized the federal government’s decision to award contracts for the security and surveillance of oil pipelines to a single individual or a few people. He believes that this will not help to combat oil theft.
Fubara told the Joint Presidential Committee on Crude Oil Theft during their facility tour of the Niger Delta in Government House Port Harcourt over the weekend that the federal government must crack down on the powerful Abuja cartel that is bankrolling oil theft if it wants to end the economic sabotage associated with the crime.
He said, “Security of pipelines should not be placed in the hands of one man or a few individuals. You can’t say for instance that somebody from Kalabari should be asked to determine and control what is happening in Ogba-Egbema.
“It’s not possible, not workable. Or somebody from Ogba-Egbema should take charge in Ogoni. You can understand there is no way it would work. You need to come down to bring on board all these host communities heads or leaders.
“Those people you are dealing with, you can engage on this other end, but those key leaders and influential power brokers in other major host communities must be engaged. Once you are able to do that, make them part of the process, no two ways about it. The tide of the economic sabotage through oil theft will go down.”
On the Rivers State government’s resolve to combat oil theft, he said, “We are one of the first States that was able to break the ranks on illegal bunkering, and we remain committed to partnering with the security agencies.”
“And what breeds all of this is unemployment and poverty. The big people in this business aren’t from here (operating environment). They are those in Abuja who have license to operate.”
“If they are not encouraging it, I don’t think it will thrive. We need to work not just on the locals, but also see what we can do to really clamp down on those big ones that sit in Abuja that are a big part of this.”
The governor expressed dismay at the lack of attention to critical infrastructure in Rivers State, pointing to the deplorable condition of the East-West Road, which is strategically important to the economic development of the country.
n response, the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, who led the federal government delegation, thanked the governor for the audience. He noted that the Niger Delta deserves peace and better living standards, regardless of its resources. He assured the governor of the federal government’s commitment to addressing the security challenges in the region.
On his part, the Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru, said that the team was sent by the President to visit facilities in the Niger Delta and work with the states to promote peace in the region and ensure that national assets are protected.