The United Kingdom
(UK), United States (US), have indicated their interest to assist Nigeria curb
the menace of crude oil theft, which President Good luck Jonathan has described
as “Blood Oil”.
The Minister of
Petroleum Resources, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke, made the announcement at a
lecture titled “The Future of African Energy in a changing World”, delivered on
Sunday at St. Anthony’s College in Oxford University, England.
I must say that both
the British and the US governments have been in discussions with us and are
keen to join hands with us to fight this menace. “The global community is on
track and already geared up and we are working to put in place, a strategic
platform that will involve us all and enable us track and finger print stolen
crude,” Alison-Madueke said.
She said that crude
oil theft and vandalism were being executed on a professional scale beyond
petty stealing. “It is therefore, clear that this crude is being taken to
refineries outside the shores of West Africa”.
According to her,
proceeds from stolen crude are being passed through fiscal institutions beyond
the African continent and the monies are laundered by fiscal entities. “It has
therefore; become necessary to tackle this issue globally as it is perpetrated
by powerful cabals and experts”.
The minister also said
that governments in the Niger-Delta were collaborating with service chiefs to
sensitize the affected communities on the dangers of illegal refineries on the
environment. Other issues addressed by the Minister include Petroleum Industry
Bill (PIB) and global politics of oil where she stressed the need to give
emerging economies more support. It is better to invest in these economies,
import their gas and oil rather than give out charity and donations to them.
‘Basically if Africa
itself is not stable and if its’ teeming youth population are not gainfully
employed, then they obviously pose an inherent threat to social security and
stability in the world,” she said.
Meanwhile, wife of
former UK’s Prime Minister Tony Blair, Mrs Cherie Blair, in an interview with
the News Agency of Nigeria, commended the Minister of Petroleum Resources,
Alison Madueke, for her detailed lecture on the oil sector of Nigeria.
Blair said the
Petroleum Industry Bill when passed into law would be beneficial to companies
with investments in the sector and crucial to Nigerians.
Should the PIB be
passed into law? Would the bill create an enabling environment and make it
possible for the multinationals, marginal field operators, the independents as
well as the indigenous and local content service providers to get a fair share
too? I leave it to you…….
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