By Bimbola Oyesola , [email protected]
The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has described oil theft and pipelines vandalism in the country as organised crime.
In a letter delivered to the Commission of Police, Lagos State, Abiodun Alabi, through the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Area F Command, John Sango, by the chairman, PENGASSAN, Lagos Zone, Elam Abang, during a rally in Lagos to sensitize the public on oil theft and pipelines vandalism, he stated that statistics by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) showed that the country lost about $3.2 billion (about N1.36 trillion) in crude oil theft between January 2021 and February 2022.
According to him, that has affected the production capacity of the Organisation for Petroleum Exporting Countries, (OPEC), the global oil-producing organisation, as over 95 per cent of oil production is lost to thieves.
Abang noted that the activities of criminals involved in oil theft and pipeline vandalism have serious environmental drawbacks, degradation, air pollution and other pollution that have affected agriculture and livelihoods of inhabitants of the oil-producing and pipeline areas.
“Most international oil companies (IOCs) are divesting when there is no new investment in the oil and gas industry due to the menace of oil theft and pipeline vandalism.
“The most excruciating impact is the loss of revenue that could have accrued to the nation’s purse for the improvement of lives of the masses to these thieves” he stated.
The chairman attributed this menace to the aggravated poverty in the country and shortage in foreign exchange earnings as oil that could have been used to generate the foreign exchange are stolen.
He said as a result of this, most products that are imported are out of the reach of the masses and also there is reduction in purchasing power of Nigerians.
He lamented the the twin evil of oil theft and vandalism can also be said to have the indirect impact in brain drain in the country,
He explained that, as a responsible trade union, PENGASSAN has taken it upon itself not only to create awareness and sensitisation, but also to engage and get buy-in and support of security agencies, especially the Police as part of industry-wide intervention mission to find a lasting solution to curb crude oil theft in Nigeria.
Abang said this menace propelled the body to seek collaboration with the police to stop the alarming levels of crude oil theft, which has now become a national emergency.
He urged the police to step up mechanism and efforts in defending oil and gas installations all over the country and also assure them of their maximum cooperation in the efforts to rid this country of oil thieves and vandals.
Reacting to questions from journalists, Ete Oyegbanren, Producers Forum chairman, PENGASSAN, revealed that the problems are on different levels and must be address as such.
He stated that oil theft impacts on all Nigerians because, if the country can’t produce enough crude to meet its quota, there would not be enough foreign exchange funds at all levels of government.
He maintained that if oil theft and pipelines vandalism are not stopped, Nigerians that are employed across the value chain from the oil and gas to all the various sectors of manufacturing will lose their jobs and the country will be in a state of dis-organisation.
He called on the government to rise up to the occasion, arrest and prosecute vandals who are taking opportunities to damage the pipelines.
He equally appealed to government and security agencies to play their roles as guardians of security in the country to protect oil facilities and also ensure that those that are legitimate businesses remain in it and those in illegal bunkering are removed from business.
The Trade Union Congress public relations officer, Lagos State Council, Kazeem Alabi, emphasised that what is happening in the Niger Delta is also happening in Lagos State and all over the country, as everywhere the pipelines pass through vandals operate there.
Alabi said as a body they cannot just fold their hands and allow vandals to be in business, as cabals, security agencies and most people in those places are all involved in this act of vandalism.
He reiterated that that was the reason they are paying lip service in taking action and urged well-meaning security agencies to do their job and also plead with the host community to speak out, as the incident in Ijegun, Lagos State, some years back was a clear example of silence of the host community which eventually led to lost of lives and property.
“We urge everyone that whenever they see something, they should say something. If we need to take over the National Assembly for this matter to be resolved we will not hesitate to do that” he said.