Members of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) also staged demonstrations yesterday in Warri, Delta State, Port Harcourt, the capital of Rivers State, and Abuja. Their complaint was the widespread oil theft in the Niger Delta.
Due to the negative economic effects that widespread oil theft in the oil-producing region was having on its members and fellow Nigerians, the irate oil workers planned a showdown with the Federal Government.
PENGASSAN President Festus Osifo led the oil workers in a protest at the headquarters of the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigeria National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited.
Osifo claimed that despite the association's continuous efforts over the past year to engage stakeholders and give solutions to the theft and vandalism of oil, none of these engagements had been successful.
The NNPC also demanded yesterday that pipeline vandals be made aware of their actions and deradicalized in order to encourage investors to participate in the nation's oil industry, particularly in the Niger Delta region.
Abba-Gana Muhammad, the Group General Manager for Security at NNPC, made this statement while NNPC Towers in Abuja hosted the demonstrators on behalf of the organization's Group Chief Executive Officer.
He thanked the PENGASSAN members and added that the NNPC CEO was also working hard to safeguard the pipelines and other oil installations.
Osifo urged President Muhammadu Buhari to grant security chiefs a month to complete their investigations into the Niger Delta security units and send those responsible for underperformance.
Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has also stated that it is unjustified to associate military activity in the Niger Delta with oil theft, the operation of illegal refineries, and other forms of economic sabotage.
A claim that some military troops were involved in oil theft in the Niger Delta region prompted the DHQ's response.
According to the report, troops were taking a great risk by operating in the region's extremely dangerous terrain in order to defend oil installations and deny oil thieves, vandals, and other maritime criminals the ability to operate.
Maj.-Gen. Jimmy Akpor, Director of Defence Information, claimed that the troops sent to the oil-producing zone were doing their best and seeing positive outcomes.
Akpor said: “When you see the terrain where the oil is produced, you will ask, you are the stakeholders in the production and security of the oil and gas. We need to answer that question so that when you’re writing, you will be writing from the point of knowledge.
“This is because the oil companies are involved, the soldiers are involved and the communities are also involved. But they are only making the military the cannon folder. The military is the weeping child.
“If you’re going to protest that soldiers have not done their job, know that soldiers have done their job. The volume of crude oil that has been recovered shows that they are doing their job. The recent arrest of a supertanker that could have taken out 3 million barrels of crude oil unaccounted for also shows that the military is doing their job.”
Maj.-Gen. Musa Danmadami, Director of Defence Media Operations (DMO), reported that Operation Delta Safe forces had kept up their crackdown on oil thieves during the previous two weeks.
According to the military's head of media, oil products worth N1,235,624,462.45 were retrieved during the period under consideration.
Additionally, the Port Harcourt Zone of PENGASSAN yesterday denounced pipeline and oil theft in the Niger Delta.
Members of the group began their procession at Isaac Boro Park in the administrative centre of Rivers State, and they finished it there.
"We have seen larger international oil companies (IOCs) that produce more than 30,000 barrels of oil, and what will be observed is 3,000 barrels per day," their Zonal Chairman Peter Onita said.
“As an association, we have been engaging and we will continue to engage the government in the interest to make sure that oil theft and vandalism of oil facilities are put to a stop.
“Today, the OPEC production for Nigeria is put at 1.62 million barrels per day (bpd). As a country, we have the capacity to produce 2 million bpd but because of the oil theft, it is difficult. For close to a year now, we have been struggling to meet our quota.
“Because of this theft, IOCs are leaving the country.”
Rivers State Police Commissioner Eboka Friday said: “The Federal and state governments are not happy with the ugly trend. Since early this year, the governor, in particular, has been very vibrant to ensure that this menace stops.
“Remember early this year, I followed the governor to the bushes to destroy illegal oil refineries. He did not stop there. After that, you realise that the soot reduced drastically.
“On August 19, the governor set up a task force, comprising of the Army, Civil Defence, and the police to fight from all front the war against oil theft.”
Additionally, hundreds of PENGASSAN members demonstrated against the Niger Delta's rising pipeline vandalism and oil theft yesterday in Warri, Delta State.
Around 8 a.m., the oil workers surrounded the Delta State Governor's Office Annexe in Warri while carrying placards and singing songs of unity and laying forth their grievances.
"Some firms producing crude oil told us that if they mine crude oil before it gets to the reservoir for storage, all that is left is water," stated their chairman Audu Oshiokhamele. And it has an impact on Nigeria's output oil production.
“We are telling the government to prosecute those that have been arrested. This is because we know that without the government’s involvement in this matter, it will be difficult for the thieves to continue their business.”
Prince Emea Okorie, the chairman of the PENGASSAN Group at NNPC Limited in Warri, expressed sorrow that Nigeria was no longer able to reach the 1.8 million barrels per day OPEC target.
He claimed that because of theft, the nation "is currently failing to meet 1 million barrels per day."
In her remarks to the crowd, Violet Onowakpokpo, Director of the Governor's Office in Annexe Warri, gave the demonstrators the assurance that Governor Ifeanyi Okowa would be informed of their complaints.
Members of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) also staged demonstrations yesterday in Warri, Delta State, Port Harcourt, the capital of Rivers State, and Abuja. Their complaint was the widespread oil theft in the Niger Delta.
Due to the negative economic effects that widespread oil theft in the oil-producing region was having on its members and fellow Nigerians, the irate oil workers planned a showdown with the Federal Government.
PENGASSAN President Festus Osifo led the oil workers in a protest at the headquarters of the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigeria National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited.
Osifo claimed that despite the association's continuous efforts over the past year to engage stakeholders and give solutions to the theft and vandalism of oil, none of these engagements had been successful.
The NNPC also demanded yesterday that pipeline vandals be made aware of their actions and deradicalized in order to encourage investors to participate in the nation's oil industry, particularly in the Niger Delta region.
Abba-Gana Muhammad, the Group General Manager for Security at NNPC, made this statement while NNPC Towers in Abuja hosted the demonstrators on behalf of the organization's Group Chief Executive Officer.
He thanked the PENGASSAN members and added that the NNPC CEO was also working hard to safeguard the pipelines and other oil installations.
Osifo urged President Muhammadu Buhari to grant security chiefs a month to complete their investigations into the Niger Delta security units and send those responsible for underperformance.
Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has also stated that it is unjustified to associate military activity in the Niger Delta with oil theft, the operation of illegal refineries, and other forms of economic sabotage.
A claim that some military troops were involved in oil theft in the Niger Delta region prompted the DHQ's response.
According to the report, troops were taking a great risk by operating in the region's extremely dangerous terrain in order to defend oil installations and deny oil thieves, vandals, and other maritime criminals the ability to operate.
Maj.-Gen. Jimmy Akpor, Director of Defence Information, claimed that the troops sent to the oil-producing zone were doing their best and seeing positive outcomes.
Akpor said: “When you see the terrain where the oil is produced, you will ask, you are the stakeholders in the production and security of the oil and gas. We need to answer that question so that when you’re writing, you will be writing from the point of knowledge.
“This is because the oil companies are involved, the soldiers are involved and the communities are also involved. But they are only making the military the cannon folder. The military is the weeping child.
“If you’re going to protest that soldiers have not done their job, know that soldiers have done their job. The volume of crude oil that has been recovered shows that they are doing their job. The recent arrest of a supertanker that could have taken out 3 million barrels of crude oil unaccounted for also shows that the military is doing their job.”
Maj.-Gen. Musa Danmadami, Director of Defence Media Operations (DMO), reported that Operation Delta Safe forces had kept up their crackdown on oil thieves during the previous two weeks.
According to the military's head of media, oil products worth N1,235,624,462.45 were retrieved during the period under consideration.
Additionally, the Port Harcourt Zone of PENGASSAN yesterday denounced pipeline and oil theft in the Niger Delta.
Members of the group began their procession at Isaac Boro Park in the administrative centre of Rivers State, and they finished it there.
"We have seen larger international oil companies (IOCs) that produce more than 30,000 barrels of oil, and what will be observed is 3,000 barrels per day," their Zonal Chairman Peter Onita said.
“As an association, we have been engaging and we will continue to engage the government in the interest to make sure that oil theft and vandalism of oil facilities are put to a stop.
“Today, the OPEC production for Nigeria is put at 1.62 million barrels per day (bpd). As a country, we have the capacity to produce 2 million bpd but because of the oil theft, it is difficult. For close to a year now, we have been struggling to meet our quota.
“Because of this theft, IOCs are leaving the country.”
Rivers State Police Commissioner Eboka Friday said: “The Federal and state governments are not happy with the ugly trend. Since early this year, the governor, in particular, has been very vibrant to ensure that this menace stops.
“Remember early this year, I followed the governor to the bushes to destroy illegal oil refineries. He did not stop there. After that, you realise that the soot reduced drastically.
“On August 19, the governor set up a task force, comprising of the Army, Civil Defence, and the police to fight from all front the war against oil theft.”
Additionally, hundreds of PENGASSAN members demonstrated against the Niger Delta's rising pipeline vandalism and oil theft yesterday in Warri, Delta State.
Around 8 a.m., the oil workers surrounded the Delta State Governor's Office Annexe in Warri while carrying placards and singing songs of unity and laying forth their grievances.
"Some firms producing crude oil told us that if they mine crude oil before it gets to the reservoir for storage, all that is left is water," stated their chairman Audu Oshiokhamele. And it has an impact on Nigeria's output oil production.
“We are telling the government to prosecute those that have been arrested. This is because we know that without the government’s involvement in this matter, it will be difficult for the thieves to continue their business.”
Prince Emea Okorie, the chairman of the PENGASSAN Group at NNPC Limited in Warri, expressed sorrow that Nigeria was no longer able to reach the 1.8 million barrels per day OPEC target.
He claimed that because of theft, the nation "is currently failing to meet 1 million barrels per day."
In her remarks to the crowd, Violet Onowakpokpo, Director of the Governor's Office in Annexe Warri, gave the demonstrators the assurance that Governor Ifeanyi Okowa would be informed of their complaints.
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