A security operative has been forced to voice out before newsmen how political leaders and others pressure them to free oil thieves when apprehended.
This happened in one of the local council headquarters in Rivers State where the war against illegal bunkering and refining has just been launched.
This came when accusations were levied from many quarters on the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni (ONELGA) local council area. The council led by Vincent Job had flagged off the war against soot in Omoku, the headquarters.
The NSCDC commander there, Eze Victory, burst out in anger and defence and accused the political leaders of being the same persons that usually call them to free arrested persons.
Speaking, the NSCDC divisional officer accused the political class of interfering in the fight against oil theft, by consistently calling for the release of illegal bunkering suspects when arrested.
The security official said; “When we arrest suspects, it’s still the politicians and elite who are always calling us for the release of these arrested suspects. The political elite should stop calling our bosses and interfering; they will say he is my boy, please release him.
“Oil companies should respect memoranda of understanding (MoU) with host communities. If they keep to what they promised the communities, I don’t think youths will go to break their pipelines. They should empower the youths too because an idle mind is the devil’s workshop.”
Also, a member representing ONELGA Constituency I in the Rivers State House of Assembly, Christian Ahiakwo, accused oil company workers of complicity in oil theft and illegal oil bunkering.
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“I have carried out a research on this and found out that over 80 percent of hacked pipelines were properly and smoothly done, which means that it takes the expertise of professionals, which are also workers of these oil companies.”
On his part, the commissioner for youth affairs, in Rivers State, Ohia, who described money made from illegal oil bunkering as blood money, urged security operatives to live up to their mandate.
“Law enforcement agents should live up to their responsibilities. The money you want to make from illegal oil bunkering is blood money because people are dying every day from asthma, bronchitis, and other respiratory ailments caused by soot,” said Ohia.
The Nze Obi of Egbema, Evaristus Amuda, blamed the rising cases of illegal oil bunkering on the connivance of personnel of the NSCDC. “Oil bunkering became pronounced in our community with the establishment of Civil Defence in ONELGA. It is time to question them. Will they allow us to fight the bunkering? The oil company workers are also involved.”
Declaring the war against illegal oil bunkering, the council boss, Vincent Job, vowed to leave no stone unturned in the task that was ordered by the state governor, Nyesom Wike.
He said this was in line with the directive by the governor to the 23 local government chairmen, traditional rulers and security agencies to stamped out illegal oil bunkering and refining activities in the state, which has been a major cause of black soot.
Speaking at a stakeholders’ meeting on illegal bunkering and artisanal oil refining in Omoku, Job decried that the life expectancy of an average Rivers man has been reduced due to prolonged exposure to soot.
He lamented that oil theft remains a threat to the nation’s economy, while residue from illegal refineries damages the soil such that no green vegetation grows in an affected place for years if there is no cleanup.
“I, therefore, urged all traditional rulers, chairmen of Community Development Committees (CDCs), youth bodies and other stakeholders to brace up to the challenge of this menace by co-operating with the task force already constituted by the council to identify and report any such illegal refining site in your domain for further action.”
