Metro Okonta Confident Delta Has Substantial Evidence to Back 40% Oil Theft Reduction Claim

L

LequteMan

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The Delta government has substantial evidence to back its claim that there has been a 40 per cent reduction in the volume of crude oil stolen in the Niger Delta region says Hon Martin Okonta, a member of the state house of assembly.

His remarks came on the heels of the recent pronouncement by Gov. Emmanuel Uduaghan that the volume of stolen oil has decreased from 100,000 barrels to 40,000 barrels per day.

The lawmaker, who challenged the international community to assist Nigeria in the fight against oil theft, said that members of the community were part of those involved in the oil theft.

“They bring the infrastructure, the barge and equipment into our shores.

“We should be able to have information on who is in our territorial waters and I do not rule out the involvement of some government agencies in the greed to acquire wealth from stolen crude oil,’’ he said.

Okonto called on the Federal Government to ``empower’’ the youth in the oil producing communities to enable them provide security agencies valid information to curb illegal oil bunkering.

“The Federal Government should also have a surveillance aircraft that can monitor activities in the high sea because when it is dark nobody knows what is happening in the country’s territorial waters.

“So, we need a surveillance team that can monitor our waters properly because illegal oil bunkering is not for laymen; it is an activity with a level of sophistication,’’ he said.


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