…Accuses Navy, JTF of complicity
The Ijaw Youth Congress (IYC), the umbrella union of all Ijaw youths worldwide, has called on the Federal Government of Nigeria to restore the pipeline surveillance contract in the Niger-Delta region to Chief Government Ekpemupolo alias Tompolo in order to further guarantee the increase in crude oil production from the area.
President of IYC worldwide, Pereotubo Oweilaemi Esq, who made this call during a press briefing on Saturday with members of the Warri Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) at the secretariat in Warri, Delta State, alleged that the Nigerian Navy and members of the Joint Task Force (JTF) are part and parcel of the consistent and lucrative stealing of crude oil in the Niger Delta region.
Oweilaemi made the allegation while responding to an accusation that the Operation Delta Safe commander, Rear Admiral Suleiman’ Apochi, had blamed youths, communities and other stakeholders for conniving with criminals to perpetuate illegal oil bunkering, illegal refineries and oil theft, which he said was prolonging the fight against the menace.
The Ijaw Youth leader said it was unfortunate that the security agencies usually pointed accusing fingers on ordinary people from the region of being involved in oil theft.
He opined that though the responsibility of the JTF and especially the Nigerian Navy was to constitutionally look after the economic assets, they’re actually the ones in the know of the stealing of every drop of crude oil and other illegality ongoing in the region.
“It’s unfortunate that the Nigerian Navy, who is constitutionally saddled with the responsibility of looking after the waterways and arrest people involved in illegal oil bunkering are pointing accusing fingers to ordinary citizens who do not have what it takes to secure and police the waterways.
“The Navy’s responsibility is to ensure that there’s no illegal bunkering in our waterways. But I must tell you today that security agencies, particularly the JTF is part of illegal bunkering in Nigeria and the Niger Delta. I have it on good authority that there’s no drop of oil that passes by in the Niger Delta without the JTF or Navy being in the know of it,” Oweilaemi insisted.
Ijaw youth leader stated that people of the region, especially the youths, have been trying their best to halt oil theft and illegal refinery which is currently endangering the health of people in Rivers State through the emission of carbon soot from illegal refineries.
He slammed the Navy and JTF for collecting huge monies from the FG for the fight against oil theft and yet doing little to justify the investment.
“The Navy cannot, on their own complacency, accuse the Ijaw or Niger Delta people of not doing enough to arrest illegal oil bunkering. The JTF which the navy high command is part of should be brought to book. Why is it that government is spending so much money that they are saying that there’s no illegal bunkering or oil theft in their presence?
“You’ll see illegal oil bunkering everywhere and that’s why it’s as a result of oil theft and oil bunkering that you have soot Rivers State, which is very hazardous to human lives in Rivers State. And if care is not taken, the soot that you see in Rivers State will spread to other parts of the Niger Delta,” he noted.
He recalled that the situation was not so before 2015 when former militant, Chief Government Ekpemupolo alias Tompolo was manning the waterways and oil assets under a Federal Government contract.
“When Tompolo was in charge of monitoring and securing pipelines, there was peace in the region and oil installations were safe and that amounted to increase in crude oil production.
The IYC leader while calling on the Federal Government to restore the contract of pipeline surveillance in the region to Tompolo in order to further guarantee the increase in crude oil production, however urged the National Assembly to abort the bill on water regulation and Petroleum Information Bill.
He also called on the Chief of Army Staff to reorganise and take a second look at the JTF, insisting that members of the military formation have turned themselves into businessmen and contractors.
He also pleaded with the United Nations to mobilize the international community to assist Rivers State in arresting the soot pollution menace constituting health hazards to the people.
It will be recalled that a coalition of Niger Delta Civil Society activists and the Niger Delta Environmental Protection group in a protest in Abuja requested the sack of commander of the JTF codenamed Operation Delta Safe (OPDS), Rear Admiral Apochi Sulaiman.
The coalition had accused Rear Admiral Sulaiman of aiding and abetting the worsening case of economic sabotage, oil bunkering, and vandalism of oil facilities as well as stealing of crude oil which they have been heavily paid to exterminate in the region.
Also, in a one-minute documentary from the Defence Headquarters on Niger Delta Television Jungle (English) 2018 given to some national television stations to air, the JTF said the youths, oil host communities and other stakeholders should stop conniving with illegal oil refinery criminals in order to end further pollution of the environment.
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