PENGASSAN Protests Oil Theft in N’Delta, Accuses Security Officials of Involvement
Photo of a big red oil tanker. There is long oil pipeline and cargo crane on deck of this ship. Vessel is steaming in blue, calm water to skyline under blue sky with smooth white clouds.
*Says $1bn worth of oil lost daily
By Our Correspondent
Members of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) on Wednesday protested the continued massive oil theft in the Niger Delta accusing security officials of involvement.
The Union which said it will begin rallies to protest against the theft of Nigeria’s oil since all efforts to stop the theft have failed.
According to the oil workers, there was the need to declare an emergency in the sector considering that every effort to engage the leadership of the security agencies and regulatory bodies for solution has failed.
Addressing newsmen in Abuja on Wednesday, President of PENGASSAN, Mr. Festus Osifo said the union has been left with no choice than to rework its strategy.
Osifo said that with a quota of 1.8 million barrels per day in July for Nigeria from the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) , the country was struggling to produce barely about one million barrels per day.
He said that despite the fact that oil prices went up to $100 oil price per barrel, Nigeria was still broke.
He said the borrowings from government have continued, adding that if the country is able to produce up to 1.9 million barrels per day, there would not be any need for such external loans.
The union accused some security operatives of involvement in the oil theft, adding that some personnel were lobbying to be posted to the Niger Delta apparently to benefit from the theft.
Osifo revealed that the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPCL) had during a briefing last week said that everyone from the top to the bottom as well as security agencies, communities, oil workers, were not left out in the oil theft.
He described the situation as complete collusion and connivance.
He said, “This is the time for us to act. The security men and women have become multi-millionaires overnight. “The total collusion is there and this collusion must stop,”
“For us, government must wake up. There must be consequences. You cannot send naval officers, civil defence, army to the creeks of the Niger Delta and you don’t develop a mechanism to hold them accountable. Accountability is key.”
“After these rallies and there’s no traceable progress, our association may resort to withdraw our workforce from the operating companies because we cannot continuously send crude oil into pipelines and at the end of the day, they are vandalised and stolen.”
By Our Correspondent
Members of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) on Wednesday protested the continued massive oil theft in the Niger Delta accusing security officials of involvement.
The Union which said it will begin rallies to protest against the theft of Nigeria’s oil since all efforts to stop the theft have failed.
According to the oil workers, there was the need to declare an emergency in the sector considering that every effort to engage the leadership of the security agencies and regulatory bodies for solution has failed.
Addressing newsmen in Abuja on Wednesday, President of PENGASSAN, Mr. Festus Osifo said the union has been left with no choice than to rework its strategy.
Osifo said that with a quota of 1.8 million barrels per day in July for Nigeria from the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) , the country was struggling to produce barely about one million barrels per day.
He said that despite the fact that oil prices went up to $100 oil price per barrel, Nigeria was still broke.
He said the borrowings from government have continued, adding that if the country is able to produce up to 1.9 million barrels per day, there would not be any need for such external loans.
The union accused some security operatives of involvement in the oil theft, adding that some personnel were lobbying to be posted to the Niger Delta apparently to benefit from the theft.
Osifo revealed that the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPCL) had during a briefing last week said that everyone from the top to the bottom as well as security agencies, communities, oil workers, were not left out in the oil theft.
He described the situation as complete collusion and connivance.
He said, “This is the time for us to act. The security men and women have become multi-millionaires overnight. “The total collusion is there and this collusion must stop,”
“For us, government must wake up. There must be consequences. You cannot send naval officers, civil defence, army to the creeks of the Niger Delta and you don’t develop a mechanism to hold them accountable. Accountability is key.”
“After these rallies and there’s no traceable progress, our association may resort to withdraw our workforce from the operating companies because we cannot continuously send crude oil into pipelines and at the end of the day, they are vandalised and stolen.”
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