Worried by the high level of crude oil theft in the Niger Delta, former Federal Commissioner for Information and South-South leader, Edwin Clark, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to urgently set up a judicial inquiry to investigate the criminal act.
Speaking against the background of recent discovery of a four- kilometre illegal oil pipeline delivering crude to rogue vessels to a platform on the high seas, Clark lamented that crude oil theft has led to dwindling revenue for Nigeria as it is sabotaging the country’s economy.,
Addressing Journalists, yesterday, at his Asokoro Residence, Abuja, Clark, who alleged that the stealing of crude oil is done by a cartel of government officials, oil companies, and the security agents, stressed that it is unfair and unjust to accuse the inhabitants of the oil producing areas or host communities of being responsible for stealing of crude oil.
Among others, Clark, who alleged that southerners are being discriminated against in oil companies’ recruitment asked those dominating the oil industry to explain why the nefarious acts are going on in the Niger-Delta.
He advocated for modular refineries to replace the illegal refineries that are devastating the Niger-Delta environment, and reiterated call on international oil companies, IOCs, to relocate their operational headquarters to the Niger-Delta region.
The Ijaw leader maintained that the quantum of crude oil theft by artisanal Niger Deltans is not comparable to what the vessels illegally ship out of Nigerian waters.
The elder statesman, who is the leader of Pan-Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF, said: “The news that there is an illicit four kilometres pipeline, through which crude oil is being siphoned, goes to confirm what I have always said over the years, and what the leaders of the Niger-Delta have been shouting about, that the issue of oil theft is being perpetuated by some mafia-like groups, with the connivance of some people in the oil industry, using sophisticated engineering methods to carry out their nefarious act.
“Even, more disturbing is that these activities have been going on over the years under the watchful eyes of the military and security personnel, who are supposed to be protecting these oil pipelines with the large number of gunboats to patrol the area, are unfortunately alleged to be involved in these criminal acts.
“The host communities, from where these oil explorations are carried out, but who are victims of the activities, since they cannot dictate to the oil companies and security officials, have always raised the alarm that the quantum of oil theft going on, is nothing compared to what the artisanal refinery operators are doing.
“What is going on is a sophisticated criminal act, carried out by a syndicate.
The investigation of this matter must be full, open and comprehensive, if there is sincerity to unravel what is going on.”
The elder statesman, who noted that the heist was discovered by the private security company, Tantita Security Services Limited, operated by Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, and the community youths he recruited, said that holistic investigation must uncover those behind it especially the military personnel.
Clark, who affirmed that the recent conviction by a court martial of two naval officers over bunkering vessel, MT African Pride, confirmed the involvement of the military, saying: “The two senior officers appear to have got off lightly without being sent to jail. All the same, the court martial’s verdict constituted a harsh indictment of the Navy itself. For the first time ever, it provided official confirmation of long-held suspicions that top Navy officers were deeply involved in bunkering.
“Crude oil theft is definitely part of the universal corruption that is killing Nigeria. The Federal and state governments do not seriously want to tackle the issue of eradication of corruption in our country.
The stealing is not only done through pipelines; both onshore and under water, but even the oil terminals where the export of crude oil is carried out.
Clark, who is also the leader of the Southern and Middle Belt Leadership Forum, SMBLF, alleged discrimination against the people of Niger-Delta even in the investigation of the recent discovery as he claimed that the oil industry had continued to be dominated by Northerners.
Clark said, “When the revelation was made, some government officials and some heads of security arms, embarked on a visit to the creeks to see for themselves, the discovery. In the team that embarked on the visit, apart from the Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor, and the Managing Director of Tantita Security Services Limited, Keston Pondi, the other government officials interviewed are from the northern part of the country.
“This brings to fore, once again, the marginalisation and neglect of the people of the Niger-Delta. We, therefore, once again, demand that these people, who have been dominating the oil industry, may need to explain why these nefarious acts have been going on for this long in the Niger-Delta.
“The investigation into this matter, which have been affecting the national economy so badly, must uncover all government officials including the military, top officials of the NNPCL and their collaborators, who have inflicted such magnitude of harm on the country, and on the Niger-Delta communities, endangering the life and well being of the people of the oil-bearing communities. They live largely in opulence on the blood of the people of the communities that produce the oil.
“It is dangerously incredible that crude oil theft, despite all the securities around, has assumed wider dimension, to the extent that the quantity of crude oil we export today is less than the quantity being stolen by a gang of thieves of various designations.
“The stealing of crude oil is a well managed cartel of government officials, the oil companies and the security agents. Therefore, it is unfair and unjust to accuse the inhabitants of the oil producing areas or host communities, of being responsible for the stealing of crude oil.
“While not defending these host communities, the stealing of crude oil being carried out by these group of individuals, are very minimal or negligible, as compared with the industrial stealing by some international organisations, in collaboration with some members of the security forces.
“The host communities of the Niger Delta people are not involved in the marketing and the lifting of oil of this magnitude. Today, the people of the Niger-Delta, are among the poorest people in the country. This cannot continue forever.
“Due to my constant criticism against the federal government and the NNPCL on the operation of the oil industry in the Niger Delta, and my consistently drawing the attention of the federal government and the NNPCL, about the employment policy in the oil industry, whereby majority of the workers, particularly at the managerial cadres, are northerners, I have been singled out, and branded an enemy of the federal government and as an anti-north, and not to be patronized by the government.”
Clark who noted that he was not defending Niger Delta youths over bunkering, argued thus: “It is now clear that the impression that the massive oil stealing is being perpetrated mostly by the Niger Delta youths was deliberately created by the oil industry officials to cover their criminal acts. Now, by the grace of God, Chief Government Ekpemupolo (Tompolo)’s security company, Tantita Security Services Limited, has found out the truth. The refusal of the oil companies and the NNPCL to engage the youths of the Niger Delta, even though they are qualified, is responsible for their finding a way of survival by engaging in bunkering.
“As I always said, they do not do the sophisticated type of bunkering. They do what I called buckets or jerry cans bunkering. None of them can hire a boat like the MT African Pride from abroad, for the purpose of stealing; they could make their own local boats.”
According to him, there were instances where Niger Delta youths were ignored in recruitment in the oil industry in favour of northerners.
