‘Modular refineries, PACORI will tackle crime among youths’

Establishment of modular refineries approved by the Federal Government and implementations of the Presidential Artisanal Crude Oil Refining Development Initiative (PACORI) will tackle organised crimes in Nigeria and the Gulf of Guinea, the Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC-Nigeria) has said.

The increasing crime in the country, such as pipeline vandalism, crude oil theft, artisanal refineries and pollution can be mitigated if leaders listen to the advice.  The Executive Director of YEAC-Nigeria, Fyneface Dumnamene Fynefac, stated this, yesterday, in a statement in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

According to Fyneface, the rising crime had drastically affected the nation’s economy, crippling most industries, which has consequently spiked unemployment.

He, however, noted that a communiqué  containing  the  solution, among others,  have been submitted to President Bola Tinubu by YEAC-Nigeria, following the National Conference On Organised Crime in Nigeria And The Gulf of Guinea (NACOCINAG), as well as the official launch of the Network on Organised Crime in Nigeria and the Gulf of Guinea (NOCINAG), convoked by YEAC-Nigeria in Port Harcourt, with supports from the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime and Resilience Fund, Austria.

The Guardian gathered that YEAC-Nigeria has been at the forefront of the campaign against pipeline vandalism, crude oil theft, artisanal refineries and pollution.

Fyneface explained that it was imperative to submit the communiqué to the President directly as certain recommendations required implementation by the Federal Government, which should also liaise with other countries in the Gulf of Guinea through the Gulf of Guinea Commission to address the menace of organised crime in the Niger Delta and the Gulf of Guinea.

According to him, the recommendations are the establishment of PACORDI proposed by YEAC-Nigeria for innovation, modernisation, standardisation, legalisation and integration of artisanal refineries into the national economy.

Fyneface noted that this would serve as a corresponding organised crime mitigation mechanism for artisanal crude oil refiners in the Niger Delta, like the illegal gold miners in parts of North and West, where the Presidential Artisanal Gold Mining Development Initiative (PAGMI) was established to mitigate organised crime in gold mining.