By Abba Hamisu Sani
Africa-Press – Nigeria. Nigerian Economy heavenly depend on Oil revenue as theWorld tenth oil Producing Country .
Recent data by Nigerian Bureau of Statistics shows that Nigeria is losing about Four Hundred thousand barrel of Crude Oil on daily basis as a result of oil theft and bunkering in Niger Delta region.
Recently the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, has affirmed that the country loses 400,000 barrels of crude daily do to oil bunkering .
Sylva stated this when he paid a courtesy visit to the Governor of Imo State Hope Uzodimma in Owerri. He described the development as a “national emergency”.
The Minister regretted that the nation had fallen short of OPEC daily quota, from 1.8 million barrels to 1.4 million barrels, due to crude theft.
The Minister who is the former Governor of one of the oil producing States warned that such a huge economic loss was capable of crippling the nation’s economy if not given the seriousness it deserved.
He expressed concern that the menace had persisted, in spite of the efforts by the Federal and State governments to arrest it.
Sylva said the problem of crude theft could not be handled in Abuja alone.“It is a national emergency because the theft has grown wings and reached a very bad crescendo.This is because the thefts are taking place in the communities that host the oil pipelines.As a result, it has become necessary to involve the stakeholders, especially the host communities.And because of the height and orchestrated nature of the menace, Nigeria could not take the advantage and opportunities that abound in the gas production.This is because no investor would want to invest where there is incessant insecurity and vandalism of the infrastructure,” he said.
The minister, therefore, appealed to the stakeholders to collaborate with Government in solving the problem.
How to tackle the lingering menace of Oil theft in Nigeria
Dr. Abdussalam Muhammad K’ani is the Executive Director ,Fiscal Discipline and Development Advocacy Centre (FIDAC) and Lecturer with Department of Economics Sa’adatu Rimi College of Education Kumbotso Kano.
He Said the oil theft issue in oil producing part of Nigeria can be control and manage if enough Social amenities are provided to the citizens of the region and empower the youth who are the main agents engaged in the criminal activities.
Dr. Abdussalam also stated that another measure is to provide More incentives to Security agents and other workers in the oil sector as they are identified as Collaborators in perfecting oil theft and bunkering .
The Economist added that Oil Companies should provide more Corporate Social responsibilities in the oil producing areas through generating more employment to the inhabitants .
He also attributed the situation with environmental hazards such as that of Ugoni land as he Said Government should be more serious in cleaning and clearing the Ugoni so that the Communities can have access to good environment for Farming and Fishing which remain the major source of income for Communities in the area.
Dr. K’ani suggested that there should be more synergy between oil Producing States and Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources in protecting Petroleum Pipe lines and other critical Installations in their respective States.
The Economist however advised Government to employ the Use of Information Technology Technology (ICT) in tackling the menace
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