Crude Oil Thefts: Senate should go beyond moving motions

By Haruna Salami

Senate at plenary Tuesday took a critical look at the embarrassing crude oil thefts in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria.

According to the upper legislative chamber, there is an “urgent need to investigate the incessant and nefarious acts of crude oil thefts in the Niger Delta”.

Therefore, the Senate resolved to use its 5 standing committees on Petroleum Upstream, Midstream and Downstream, Gas, Niger Delta to conduct an investigation into the actions of security forces, militia groups, the local populace, oil company employees, and any individuals or entities suspected to be using sophisticated methods to pilfer from oil facilities within the country.

Senate decision was as a result of a motion moved by Senator Need Nwoko (Delta North) on crude oil thefts that has become a national disgrace.

The motion was co-sponsored by the other two Senators from Delta state, Ede Dafinone Omueya (Delta Central) and Joel Onowakpa Thomas (Delta South).

Senator Nwoko in his motion noted that Nigeria is largely dependent on crude oil for its economic growth and development.

Quoting National Bureau of Statistics, he said the oil sector contributed 6.33% of the Nation’s GDP which translates to $45.6 billion in 2022, adding that the oil sector in Nigeria plays a pivotal role in providing employment opportunities for millions of Nigerian citizens and accounts for 70% of its budget financing while oil and gas made up 90% of export income and 85% of Government revenue in the first quarter of 2022.

Contributing to the motion, Senator Abdulfatai Buhari (Oyo North) said the issue of oil theft was beyond merely moving motions on the floor of the Senate as similar efforts in the 8th and 9th Senates achieve nothing, adding “the government must take the bull by the horns.

However, speaking with journalists after plenary, Nwoko did not support the destruction of vessels carrying stolen crude oil because that pollutes the environment destroys evidence for the prosecution of the criminals and amounts to great economic waste.

He said the most important thing is to name and shame the oil thieves, who he regarded “big men and women”.

He accused the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited of not doing enough because they have control room from where they monitor oil flow, wondering why they can’t stop this?

Nwoko who was not perturbed by failure of similar efforts in the past that didn’t yield desired results said when he investigated Paris Club loans under President Olusegun Obasanjo, nobody gave him any chance of succeeding, but he succeeded with the support of them President Obasanjo and led to stoppage of further loans and ultimately debt forgiveness.