National Telescope national telescope newspaper
By Promise Rotimi
President Bola Tinubu has instructed the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, to urgently address the persistent issue of oil theft and vandalism in the Niger Delta region.
This directive, announced by the Group Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, on Tuesday, underscores the need to resolve this national challenge to boost oil production.
The urgency of this directive is further emphasised by a recent disclosure from the Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, Dr. Ogbonnaya Orji.
On Monday, Dr. Orji revealed that Nigeria had lost $1.84 billion worth of petroleum products from its refineries over the past nine years due to theft and vandalism.
Following a high-level meeting of heads of security and intelligence at the Defence Headquarters in Abuja, convened by General Musa, Kyari stressed the importance of curbing oil theft and other criminal activities in achieving economic stability.
He stated that without addressing these issues in the Niger Delta, the country could not realise its desired economic outcomes.
Speaking, General Musa noted that “The ongoing issues in the South-South have persisted for too long. It is time to put an end to them. We assure Nigerians that from now on, the entire South-South will be free from acts of vandalism and criminality.”
He continued, “The President has mandated us to secure the South-South, enabling the NNPC and other stakeholders to perform their tasks and improve production. Nigeria relies heavily on our production, and we appeal to the communities for their understanding and support.”
General Musa called on host communities to trust and support the security agencies, acknowledging past trust issues but emphasising a new approach.
“We need the communities to understand that pipeline vandalism and its consequences directly affect them. We must stop it,” he urged.
General Musa also highlighted the need for harmonised operations among security agencies.
“This meeting was to harmonise our efforts based on the President’s directives. We will work as a unified team, involving the Joint Task Force and land components of all other agencies. In the next two to three months, we expect to see significant results,” he assured.
Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, also reinforced the commitment to tackling these challenges, calling for cooperation from all agencies and citizens.
“We acknowledge our challenges, but solving them requires collective effort. In the days ahead, you will see tangible results,” he promised.
