By Olawale Oyetunji The Minority Caucus of the House of Representatives has expressed concern over alleged massive oil theft in the ...
By Olawale Oyetunji
The Minority Caucus of the House of Representatives has
expressed concern over alleged massive oil theft in the country under the watch
of the All Progressives Congress (APC) led Federal Government.
Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon.
Ndudi Elumelu, in a statement, Saturday claimed the act has become an organized
racket under the APC administration.
He said the “Minority Caucus is disturbed by reports of
alleged complicity by certain corrupt government officials as evinced in the
clandestine entrance and berthing of a 3-million-barrel capacity super tanker,
MV. Heroic Idun in Nigerian waters to criminally load millions of barrels of
stolen crude oil from our country.”
The caucus lamented the failure of the Nigerian authorities
to effectively intercept and arrest the criminal tanker and its crew, which
successfully left the Nigerian waters only to be apprehended by the Equatorial
Guinean Navy.
It pointed out that this act has a consequential crippling
effect on the overall national economy and social wellbeing.
The statement partly read, “It is indeed disturbing that
under the APC administration, according to official reports, oil thieves are
having a field day stealing up to 400,000 barrels of crude oil every day. This
amounts to a daily siphoning of about $40m (given the current average global
oil price of around $100 a barrel) accrued revenue meant for the wellbeing of
Nigerians.
“Our caucus is saddened because such enabled sleaze is
responsible for the crippling of our products and services sectors, massive
unemployment; the collapse of our critical sectors including education, health,
and power; unbearable infrastructural stagnation, and escalated insecurity with
attendant excruciating hardship on our citizens.
“The Minority Caucus, standing with Nigerians, demands an
immediate, independent, and open investigation into the issue of oil theft in
the country with particular reference to the circumstances that facilitated the
reported illegal operation by MV Heroic Idun as well as its escape from our
waters.
“Who granted the vessel entrance into the Nigerians water?
Who granted it facilities to illegally berth and pump stolen crude oil? What
circumstances facilitated its escape from the Nigerian waters? Who is the
vessel working for and who are those behind the illegal operation?”
The caucus commended the officers of the Nigerian Navy for
their collaboration with their Equatorial Guinea counterpart to effect the
arrest of the criminal vessel.
They also urged officers to assist in ensuring that those
behind the crime against the nation are all brought to book.
They charged President Muhammadu Buhari to, in the interest
of the nation, rise to the occasion and take urgent steps to halt the
hemorrhaging of the national economy through crude oil theft.
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