Tina Amanda
Chairman of PENGANSAN Port Harcourt Zone, Comrade Peter Onita has revealed that the country in the last year has failed to meet up to its OPEC production quota of 1.82 million barrels per day due to an increase in oil theft and pipeline vandalism.
Comrade Peter Onita who stated this while carrying out their threat of protest against activities of oil theft and pipeline vandalism in Port Harcourt said the same was being done in other parts of the country to register their grievance against activities of illegal oil bunkering and vandalism.
He explained that the country has the capacity to produce over 2 million barrels if the issue of oil theft and pipeline vandalism is nipped in the bud.
He noted that several multinationals have left the country because of the activities of pipeline vandals which is taking its toll on their operation.
Onita complained that the activities of oil theft, have made government no longer keep to their social responsibility and companies can no longer pay their workers while the environment is no longer save for inhabitants.
“For some time we have been dealing with oil theft many of our companies are packing not that they are not producing but because when they produce it is being diverted. Enemies of the country are syphoning our oil.
“We want to inform them that there is a looming Crisis in the oil and Gas, Nigeria’s economy is bleeding. We believe the government will do the right thing, we believe this advocacy will bring about the sustained interest of production in the Oil and Gas.
“Government should provide facilities for security agencies to work out modalities on how to fight against vandalism, but how would government provide that when they are not selling anything
“We have more than forty-something barrels they have to stop producing Agip it is not good, you produce sixty- six something barrels and what you receive is 5000 thousand”
The Port Harcourt Zonal Chairman called on relevant government authorities to urgently intervene to stop the looming crises rocking the oil industry, warned that as stakeholders in the business, they can no longer fold their hands and watch criminals destroy their land and source of revenue.
“as stakeholders in the industry we can no more keep quiet, we want to add our to say the government should rise to the challenges in our time”.
On his part, River state commissioner of police, Eboka Friday said, the command has charged twenty-two persons involved in illegal oil bunkering to court while several camps have been destroy
“The federal government is not happy with oil theft, the state too is not happy the government itself set up a taskforce to fight oil bunkering and theft. We believe production will increase, we are working hard to ensure anywhere they do it, they won’t have access to pass”.
Rivers State Commandant of NSCDC, Micheal OGAR while noted that the command has zero tolerance for illegal oil bunkering and vowed to punish any of its personnel involved in the act.
“Oil is our blood and we will ensure all persons involved will be prosecuted, anyone doing illegal refinery will be arrested”.
Our correspondent reports that members of PENGASSAN did not only protest but engaged in sensitization of members of the public, as they took off from Isaac Boro Park on ABA road, to Police Headquarters Rivers State Command, on Moscow road and made a final stop at Civil Defence Command Olubasanjo Road, off Aba road.
Theme: Chasing Oil Thieves and Vandals out of business
sub-themes: Stop Pipeline Vandalism, Stop Oil Theft, A Sabotage to one is a Sabotage to the Nation, farming and fishing are affected, Our Land and water are destroyed because of oil theft
