By Adedapo Adesanya
Governor of Edo State, Mr Godwin Obaseki, has disclosed that Nigeria lost about 22 million barrels of its crude oil production to oil theft and vandalism between January and June 2019.
Governor Obaseki was quoted saying this in a statement issued by Mr Ndu Ughamadu, spokesman for the Nigerian National Petroleum corporation (NNPC), in the nation’s capital, Abuja on Thursday.
He said that if nothing was done to stop this, that the country was bound to have a major problem on its hands and that the figure could double by the end of the year.
The Governor, who also serves as Chairman of the Ad-hoc Committee of the National Economic Council on Crude Oil Theft, spoke at a stakeholders meeting held at the NNPC towers.
He further stated the menace of oil theft and pipeline vandalism were beginning to pose a threat to the Nigerian economy.
The Governor then used the opportunity to call on stakeholders to join forces and work towards eradicating the menace of crude oil theft that was currently skyrocketing in the country.
It would be recalled that the NNPC Monthly Financial and Operations Report (MFOR) for June revealed a staggering 77 percent rise in cases of oil pipeline vandalism across its network of pipeline infrastructure.
According to the report, 106 pipeline points were breached, indicating an alarming increase from the 60 points of oil pipeline vandalised in May 2019.
The meeting was graced by the Group Managing Director of NNPC, Malam Mele Kyari, and representatives of Governors of oil producing states including Delta, Bayelsa, Ondo, Cross River, Akwa Ibom and Rivers.
Also in attendance were representatives of the Police, Navy, Army, Civil Defence and the International Oil Companies (IOCs) and some indigenous operators
