Again, Kyari, NNPC Management Team, EU Delegation, Others Storm Niger Delta Creek To Tackle Oil Theft, Vandalism

The Group Chef Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroluem Company Ltd, Mele Kyari, the European Union Delegation, top officials of the NNPC Ltd as well as representatives of security agencies on Thursday visited the Niger Delta Creek to assess the ongoing fight against crude oil theft, illegal bunkering and vandalism of oil and gas installations.

The NNPC delegation which was led by Kyari had the Group Executive Director (Upstream) Engr Adokiye Tombomieye; GED Gas and Power Abdulkadir Ahmed; the Group General Manager, National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS), Mr. Bala Wunti; Manager Joint Venture Asset Mr Mustapha Yusufu; Head Gas Facilities, Dr Obinna Otuu and the PTDT Upstream Mr Olanrewaju Igadan.

The EU Delegation had Mr. Matthew
Baldwin (Deputy Director General, EU Commission); Ms. Samuela Isopi (EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS); Ms. Cecile Leemans (Team Leader Southern Partnerships, EU Commission); Mr. Richard Young ( Head of Division West Africa, EEAS); and Mr. Thomas Kieler (Political Adviser, EU Delegation to Nigeria).

Other members of the EU delegation are Mr. Jerome Riviere (Programme Manager, EU Delegation to Nigeria); Mr. Juan Sell (Ambassador of Spain to Nigeria); Mr. Tarek Chazli (Charge d’affairs Italy Embassy to Nigeria); and Mr. Luis Barros (Ambassador of Portugal to Nigeria)

The delegation was also accompanied by Admiral Aminu Hassan, the Commander Operations Delta Safe.

Within a three months period covering January 1 and March 31 this year, Nigeria lost a whopping amount of $1bn revenue to crude oil theft.

The theft of crude oil has been frustrating the efforts of the government in attracting fresh investments into the oil and gas industry through the implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act.

Three months ago, the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva the Chief of Defence Staff Lucky Irabo and Kyari, visited the Niger Delta for an on-the-spot assessment of the damage done by vandals.

Shortly after the visit, a military operation followed immediately to smoke vandals out of the creeks.

The theft of crude oil has been having a negative effect on the revenue of the federal government, which has denied the country the much-needed fund to boost economic development.

Apart from revenue loss, the issue of oil theft is currently threatening not just the NNPC’s quest for energy security for the country, it is also having a debilitating effect on Nigeria’s foreign exchange earnings.

Nigeria relies on crude oil revenue for over 90 per cent of its foreign exchange earnings.