Consultations on how to tame the persistent crude oil theft is currently ongoing as key players in the Nigerian oil industry pay a visit to Delta State, which is one of the major oil producing states to seek the collaboration of the state government in tackling one of the key problems Nigeria is grappling with at the moment.
Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa who received the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva led Federal Government delegation on anti-oil theft at the Government House, Asaba, pledged his government’s support of every measure that will reduce oil theft in the country.
The Minister said Nigeria cannot continue to sustain this kind of current crude oil theft bedeviling it hence their visit to seek the support of the Delta State Government to buy in the measures to be adopted to check the menace as the Federal Government he said cannot do it alone.
Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor who coordinates the security intervention against oil theft disclosed that his men have been on top of issues of illegal refineries and illegal oil bunkering in the last five months across Niger Delta region. The NNPC Group Chief Executive, Mele Kyari however lamented the country’s loss in the face of the persistent crude oil theft.
Governor Okowa who attributed the present challenge of oil theft to break in relations between host communities and oil companies called for the involvement of affected communities in oil facility surveillance.
Governor Okowa concludes that the success of all the measures adopted by the Federal Government to end oil theft depends on sincerity of all the stakeholders.
(Editor: Terverr Tyav)
