Take quick possession of ‘stolen’ crude, IPMAN charges FG

NECA urges judicial enquiry on oil theft, subsidy

Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), yesterday, advised the Federal Government to swiftly take possession of trucks of seized crude oil stolen suspected to have been stolen from the South-South geo-political zone.

The Chief Security Officer, Asika Melvin Ajuluchukwu, who doubles as National Task Force Chairman on Anti-Pipeline Vandalism and Petroleum Product Adulteration, hinted at the attempt by high-ranking individuals to unlawfully relocate the goods.

He noted that the seizure followed a successful operation by security operatives attached to the task force.

Ajuluchukwu feared that unless prompt action is taken, the evidence would either be destroyed or hidden to shield perpetrators from prosecution and punishment.

He said the operation, which took place in Akwa Ibom, was led by the Head of Operations in the state, Chief Acharaike Chukwu Ikechukwu.

The CSO stated that five trucks were impounded, with three of them taken into custody at Ibawa Barracks and the other stocked outside the facility due to mechanical faults.

BESIDES, Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) has pleaded with the government to constitute a judicial enquiry to unearth the secrecy of the subsidy regime.

Its Director-General, Adewale Oyerinde, who made the call at the weekend, urged the current administration to be decisive with the menace.

Affirming that fuel subsidy remained an organised crime, Oyerinde said what the country needed was political will to deal with the issue.

Stating that NECA’s position that subsidy was not sustainable, he urged the government to fix the refineries, lamenting that no country, arguably, would subsidise anything to the tune of N11 trillion.

If the refineries are working, Nigeria will not remain an import-dependent nation, Oyerinded submitted, adding: “The issue of oil theft and fuel subsidy was not like this before. Back in our national life, the naira was stronger than the dollar, but now changing to over N800. It is just for us to trace exactly where we have missed it. Let us deliberately reverse that trend.”

He continued: “The general consensus for all of us is that subsidy is not sustainable. Let us deal with the issue of local refineries. We have done turnaround maintenance. Let government be bold enough to come up with what we have done with the turnaround maintenance. It is a crime to continually drag us on this path. Let the refineries work. Complemented by Dangote Refinery, we probably will not have any business with subsidy.”