By Othniel Ikpibako, Esq

When a government seems to pursue agenda different from the expectations of the citizenry, there is often a reaction by the citizenry in the form of criticisms, protests or revolts. The obvious case with the End Bad Governance protest, which obvious organizer is hunger and pervading dissatisfaction.

The previous government of Buhari birthed a regime of chaotic crisis and massive corruption in the oil sector, particularly oil theft in the Niger Delta and unprecedented malfeasance in the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC). To put it in clear perspective, Nigeria crude export was average of two million (2,000,000) barrels daily before the Buhari administration but that has fallen steeply to less than nine hundred thousand (900,000) barrels daily (about 55% shortage). This shocking situation is only explainable by oil theft in the Niger Delta as we are not at war neither is there a crisis in the Niger Delta. The oil theft is a well organised racket by the very powerful in Nigeria and a few of the locals; surprisingly, the stolen crude oil is shipped through our waterways and territorial waters.

To underline the crisis of the above-mentioned massive oil theft to the Nigerian economy, it should be understood that crude oil accounts for over 90% of our exports and 70% of national income. In that light, oil theft poignantly accounts for approximately 39% of shortage in our commonwealth. This is a massive drain to our collective patrimony impacting negatively on every fabric of the economy and polity. In a simple language, only a few people of say less than 100 are appropriating to themselves what is rightly meant for over 200 million citizens. From the foregoing, a crackdown on oil theft deserves solemn and uncommon actions by government to extirpate same.

Furthermore, it is in the report that NNPC does not declare profit and has not done so since its reconstitution as a private limited company. Prior to then, we could still remember sometime in October 2017 when the then Minister of State for Petroleum, Mr Ibe Kachikwu, raised an alarm over $25billion impropriety in NNPC but the issue was hurriedly swept under the carpet till date in lieu of investigations. A lot of calls have been made for forensic investigations of the management of NNPC for transparency for the whole nation to see through the management thereof as NNPC currently remits nothing into the Federation account.

Points of action for the President are as follows:

  1. As a matter of immediate urgency, constitute a panel of enquiry to investigate the cause of the about 55% dwindling crude oil production. And I suggest Mr Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa SAN as the Chairman of this panel of enquiry.
  2. In the interim, summon the Chief of Naval Staff for explanation on the superintendence of our waterways and territorial waters in relation to vessels of illegality.
  3. Direct the Minister of State for Petroleum to devise a plan and action for the creation of modular refineries in the Niger Delta and sell crude to the locals who are into the business of crude bunkering; instead of a show of force which cannot achieve much, partner with the locals in a win win situation where the government derives its desired revenue and the locals are still in the business they have now been used to. Prof Osibanjo as then Vice President proposed this approach to the locals in this trade during a visit to them.
  4. As a matter of urgency, order forensic and holistic investigations into the activities of the NNPC spanning back to 2015.

God bless Nigeria!

Othniel Ikpibako, holds Master of International Law and Diplomacy, and Master of Laws.

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