By Emmanuel Nduka
Chairman of the Nigerian Young Professionals Forum (NYPF) Mr Moses Siloko Siasia has strongly avowed that Government Ekpemupolo, better known as Tompolo, has the capacity and competence to stop illegal crude oil theft in the Niger Delta region.
Siasia made this recommendation on Friday in Asaba, Delta State while addressing stakeholders on grievances that have played out in the aftermath of the Federal Government’s award of a N48 billion-a-year contract to Tompolo to protect pipelines bearing petroleum products in the region.
He noted that most of the security agencies deployed to the region to stem the situation, have been compromised, adding that it is a good thing that the Government has now realised that it is losing a lot of revenue from illegal oil bunkering.
The NYPF boss recalled that when Nigeria was losing serious revenue in the Maritime Sector, Tompolo was engaged by the Federal Government, and he recorded tremendous success.
“It is only him that can do it, he has done it before. I wish to remind Nigerians, that when the country was loosing a lot of revenue in the Maritime Sector, and they were not paying what they were supposed to pay to the Federal Government, with cargos leaving the country, he was the only Nigerian who showed capacity to resolve the issue at that time and you could see the success recorded.
“NIMASA engaged Tompolo and you could see the huge funds that was raised through his contract. It was when this Government came in 2015, they thought that there was something fishy and they cancelled the contract, today we can see results,” he noted.
He posited that all those aggrieved Niger Deltans who are agitating are “our brothers but we will make them realize that the world is now ruled by competency.” “If you have competence and capacity to deliver, a true system will look for you and that’s why the system has also looked for Tompolo today,” he added.
Siasia further recalled the issues with the NLNG, where the NLNG was forced to pay their overdue debts into the Federal Government purse. “In as much as there was a lot of political interest at that time, he (Tompolo) refused and was doing his work that got a lot of revenue for the government,” he added.
Speaking on the need to carry everyone along, especially disgruntled Niger Deltans, he noted that “they should also know that it’s a work that needs to be done based on partnership. And Tompolo has committed to engage with all of them which is humbly and peacefully. I believe that this issue of oil theft will be a thing of the past if Government alone is sincere.”
He however advised that the engagement momentum by the Federal Government be sustained to prevent the region from returning to the same problem.
He added that social investment programmes be initiated in catchment communities within the region. “Social impact programmes to help young people to build their capacity, to engage them, to re-orientate the minds and energy of the young people in the region.
“You need to let them know we live in a world of endless possibilities, that they can be anybody they want to be. Educational programmes, scholarships, entrepreneurship/skill acquisition empowerment should be carried out, entrepreneurship,” he added. He also stressed the need to identify key players who can help in shaping the minds and energy of youths into productive ventures.
Recently, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited uncovered an illegal four-kilometer pipeline from Forcados in Delta State to the sea and a loading port that was part of an elaborate crude theft operation for the last nine years.
This was disclosed on Thursday by Mele Kyari, Group Chief Executive Officer, NNPC Limited when he appeared before a joint Senate Committee on Upstream, Downstream and Gas, lamenting that though oil theft in Nigeria has been on for over 22 years, the rate it has assumed in recent time is unprecedented.
In addition, Kyari revealed that three operational facilities of Forcados, Bonny and Brass oil terminals have all been shut down as a result of the high rate of crude oil theft, leading to the loss of about 600, 000 barrels per day (bpd).
“In the last six weeks, there has been a spill site in Bodo community in River’s state, which may affect the operations of Trans Niger pipeline if not clamped.
“Hundred of illegal refineries in the country has led to the oil spill that made the country lose 120,000 bpd,” Kyari said.
He further stated that, in the course of the clamp down, the company has destroyed 350 illegal refineries, 273 wooden and 374 reservoirs. In addition, 1, 561 metal tanks were destroyed while over 49 seized trucks were burnt among others.
Three months after losing its status as Africa’s biggest crude oil producer to Angola, Nigeria saw its oil output drop below that of Libya in August, according to the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
