Onyedi Igwe, Port Harcourt
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, on Friday at NNS Pathfinder, Naval Base, Rumuolumeni in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Porthrcout accused the security agencies in Rivers State to be behind the illegal oil bunkering activities in the state.
“Most of the problem we have with illegal oil bunkering is that security agencies are fully involved in this illegal oil bunkering. That’s the truth. Civil defence is involved. Army is involved. Police is involved. Navy is involved. Let us tell ourselves the simple truth.”
Wike made the allegation while presenting 14 Ballistic Gunboats to the security agencies to help them fight illegal bunkering, piracy on waterways and other criminal activities in the state.
The benefiaries of the Gunboats are the Nigeria Navy, Army, Police and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
According to the Rivers State Governor, the Nigerian’s economy will continue to be in the doldurum, if oil bunkering activities, and steady artisanal refining of crude oil products continued to go on without checks.
He added that the crime are perpetrated by Navy, Police and other national security agencies in Rivers State.
Speaking at the occasion, the Governor said the frustration in the fight against illegal refining of crude oil was caused by security personnel who are providing cover for the criminals.
Wike, reiterated the need for the security agencies to brace up and do the needful by tackling the oil bunkering activities.
He added that 80 per cernt of Nigeria’s revenue are derived from oil and that the country’s economy would remain vulnerable and weak if such criminal activities on the crude oil and piracy on the waterways continued unabated.
He said oil and gas sector remained the mainstay of the nation’s economy and that the people owed it as a duty to protect the sector.
“All of us owe it a duty to see how we can salvage this country. 80 percent of the revenue of this country comes from oil and if we cannot reduce or stop this illegal oil bunkering this country is in for problem. And so, we must all work together to help this country,” he added
He said that his administration remained committed to the fight against illegal bunkering stressing that it achieved tremendous results following the reduction of soot and oil theft.
According to him, the Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), owns Rivers State government an appreciation in it’s efforts in discharging her corporate social responsibility to the people of Rivers State, similar to what NNPC was doing elsewhere.
Wike dismissed insinuations that Governors were pocketing their states’ security votes, explaining that the provision of gunboats, other equipment and logistics to the security agencies to strengthen their capacity to fight crime and criminality was evidence of how the security votes were being deployed.
The Governor charged the security agencies to confine the use of the gunboats to Rivers to tackle the menace of sea piracy and illegal bunkering activities.
Inaugurating the 14 ballistic gunboats, the Chief of Naval Staff , Vice-Admiral Awwal Zubairu Gambo said maritime terrorism, oil theft and piracy were major challenges that the Navy had continued to confront.
Gambo, revealed that Nigeria has exited the International Maritime Bureau global list of countries prone to piracy, and thanked Governor Wike for the donation, and the initiative taken in waging war against artisanal refining activities, which he said gave more impetus to security agencies.
According to him, Wike, has mustered the political Will to wage the war against operators of illegal refineries, with the support of Local Government chairmen, stating that Wike is worthy of emulation.
He revealed that the chairmen identified and destroyed illegal bunkering sites and arrested perpetrators of the illegal act.
On his part, the Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Naval Command, Rear Admiral I.A. Dewu commended Wike for the donation of the boats, adding that the gesture would compliment the Navy’s efforts to eradicate illegal oil bunkering and refining in the state and the entire Niger Delta.
The Managing Director of Abitto Global Services, Richard Akinaka, whose firm built the gunboats, thanked the Rivers State government for awarding an indigenous firm the contract for the project.
The 14 ballistic gunboats were shared according to the capabilities and responsibilities of the security agencies.