Tackle Crude Oil Theft, Warri Group Tells Government

Warri Indigenous Peoples Movement (WIPM) has charged the national authorities to instrumentality decisive enactment against large-scale crude lipid theft networks \in the Niger Delta.

It demanded equitable attraction for the Itsekiri taste nationality, a radical whose lands big immoderate of Nigeria’s astir strategical lipid assets.

The entreaty came arsenic the radical distanced itself from a protestation staged astatine the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) Towers office successful Abuja, wherever immoderate Niger Delta groups demanded the removal of the company’s Group Chief Executive Officer, Engr. Bayo Ojulari.

Speaking during a counter-rally, Comrade Monoyo Edon, General Secretary of the WIPM, said the Itsekiri radical had nary manus successful the anti-Ojulari objection and were committed alternatively to peaceful dialog and constructive engagement with the Federal Government and NNPCL.

“We privation to authorities intelligibly and unequivocally that the Itsekiri Ethnic Nationality is not progressive successful immoderate protestation oregon run calling for the removal of Engr. Bayo Ojulari.

“Our absorption remains connected fostering unity and progress, not division, and connected addressing the existent issues affecting our communities,” Edon declared.

He emphasised that the Itsekiri, 1 of the country‘s oldest and astir salient oil-producing groups, were much acrophobic astir stopping the systemic plunder of nationalist resources done amerciable bunkering.

He urged each stakeholders to prosecute reforms done lawful and transparent processes that would bring sustainable bid to the Niger Delta.

“Concerns astir past policies oregon decisions of the NNPCL should beryllium addressed done due oversight and owed process. Any calls for reviews oregon investigations indispensable beryllium made responsibly and done the due authorities institutions,” helium said.

Also speaking astatine the rally, Hon. Kingsley Tenumah, Chairman of the WIPM, urged the Federal Government to nonstop its vigor toward dismantling the almighty cartels liable for large-scale lipid theft connected the precocious seas alternatively than targeting lone small-scale operators successful the creeks.

“We privation the authorities to spell aft the high-level lipid bunkerers successful the Niger Delta region, the ones operating connected the precocious seas, not conscionable the small-scale jerrycan bunkerers. Shiploads of amerciable Nigerian crude lipid are being taken retired of this state daily,” Tenumah said.

Tenumah called connected the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to widen its investigations beyond the funds spent connected refinery turnaround attraction to exposure however these transgression networks tin run with specified impunity.

He stressed the Itsekiri people’s historical and ongoing publication to Nigeria’s lipid wealth, which indispensable beryllium reflected successful national policies connected assets distribution, jobs, and contracts.

“The Itsekiri taste nationality produces good implicit 33 per cent of Nigeria’s full lipid gross today. Over 70 lipid travel stations connected our onshore nutrient immense quantities of crude oil. Our grievance is that NNPCL indispensable dainty america fairly. When allocating jobs and contracts, springiness america our rightful stock according to the law,” Tenumah stated.

He added that portion each radical deserved its owed share, it was unjust for others to usage unit oregon intimidation to prehend what belongs to the Itsekiri people.

“You whitethorn springiness others theirs, but bash not instrumentality what belongs to america and manus it implicit simply due to the fact that they contiguous themselves arsenic having a monopoly connected violence. If Nigeria continues to promote this, we are heading for disaster,” Tenumah said.

Chief Priest Roland Oti-Yomere of the Omadino assemblage successful Warri South Local Government Area urged the Federal Government and NNPCL to respect tribunal rulings and documented acquisitions successful disputes implicit oil-bearing lands, informing that nonaccomplishment could worsen communal tensions.

“We person valid acquisitions and documentation, with immoderate cases resolved to the Supreme Court. You cannot simply assertion onshore without due ineligible backing,” Oti-Yomere said.

He praised Ojulari’s determination to curb amerciable bunkering and pledged the enactment of his assemblage for the effort, describing it arsenic indispensable to restoring bid and transparency successful the sector.

“Our main absorption contiguous is tackling amerciable bunkering successful the creeks. We afloat enactment Engr. Ojulari’s determination to extremity it and telephone connected the authorities to enactment decisively against those involved,” helium said.

Oti-Yomere besides appealed for pipeline surveillance contracts to beryllium shared reasonably among taste nationalities based connected their lipid accumulation levels to guarantee equilibrium and forestall conflicts.

The WIPM reaffirmed its backing for President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, expressing optimism that ongoing reforms would usher successful a much transparent and equitable lipid and state assemblage that would benefit...