The Nigerian Maritime and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has said that the high incidences of oil theft recorded in the country in the past years was significantly reducing by the day.
The Director-General of NIMASA, Dr. Ziakede Patrick Akpobolokemi who disclosed this in Lagos on Sunday however admitted that the reduction was not because of the efforts of NIMASA alone but because of its collaboration with other security agencies in the country amongst which are the Nigerian Navy, the Air Force and the Nigeria Police.
“Awareness on oil theft is rising that virtually in this administration, any person you meet in Nigeria have some little understanding that there is oil theft or there was oil theft and it has been a problem”.
“Now, oil theft is significantly reducing in Nigeria by the day. As I tell you, oil theft is not reducing because it is only NIMASA that is working, NIMASA is working, the Navy is working, the JTF (Joint Task Force) is working. As you hear, we are collaborating with JTF, we are collaborating with the Navy, the Air Force and the Nigeria Police”.
“So, all of us are working together to reduce the menace of oil theft”, he said.
He however stated that even if the oil theft was not reducing which according to him was not the case, checking of oil theft was not NIMASA’s main responsibility adding that the agency got involved because it was interested in safeguarding and protecting national assets and because the federal government wanted it to collaborate in the exercise.
According to him,” it is like an addition to what we have been asked to do from our mandate. So, don’t link NIMASA with oil theft this and that as it is not our primary responsibility. We should know what the primary responsibility of maritime administration is but it is a directive from the government that we must be involved in all these”.
“Also, the reason why we are involved in checking oil theft aside protecting the national assets is that inbound and outbound vessels pay 3 per cent gross rate which is part of the revenues that we earn. So, we must know what you are carrying, are you carrying crude or finished products? We may also want to know the source of your products in that context, we became involved”.
“And I think our collaboration with the other government agencies is wonderful and it can always get better which we are working towards to, so, that is the situation”.
