FG has no exact figure of crude stolen by oil thieves-NNPC

Chief Operating Officer, Upstream of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), confounded members of the House of Representatives Ad hoc Committee investigating oil theft from 2005 till date, revealing that the federal government does not have the exact figures of crude oil stolen by oil thieves because oil theft is difficult to track.

Ewubare informed the ad hoc committee members that even though oil thieves deliberately engage in stealing products, there are also crude loses arising from obsolete pipelines, old infrastructure and oil facilities resulting to unaccounted crude loses.

He made the disclosure at a three-day investigating hearing while contradicting the figures of crude stolen daily by oil thieves by House of Representatives Speaker, Femi Gbajabimila and Chairman of the ad hoc committee, Rep. Peter Akpatason, who had announced that the amount of crude stolen daily is 200, 000 and 400, 000 barrels respectively.

The NNPC operating officer argued that the major connection to oil theft in the Niger Delta region is the abject neglect of communities where oil is produced.

“We must be honest; we have not provided value to the Niger Delta region, there is deep resentment, sustained degradation and let’s be honest to address the issues,” Ewubare stated.

Also contradicting the figures bandied by the speaker and the ad hoc committee chairman, the commander of ‘Operations Delta Safe,’ Rear Admiral Akinjide Akinriade, admitted that the joint military intervention in the Niger Delta has yielded positive results with several arrest and confiscation of stolen crude, and destruction of illegal refineries.

He however, wondered where such astronomic figures of 200,000 and 400,000 barrels stolen daily were arrived at in spite of the security provided by the joint military action.

Akinriade stated that it was in 2016 that the country produced only 900, 000 barrels per day and since then with efforts of the joint military intervention, production quota has remained consistent at 2 million bpd and above.

“In 2016, we produced 900, 000 barrels, now it is 2 million barrels per day; we have sustained it. We stopped vandals from attacks on pipelines and avert infractions,” he added, pointing out that though the security outfit needed better equipment, it wonders where the figures came from.

“The figures are bandied. We don’t know where the figures are coming from,” he reiterated, noting that the nation’s pipelines carrying crude were old and susceptible to spillage

He said that presently, there is calm in the oil-rich region except pockets of cases in Delta and Rivers states, which are the most vulnerable states.

Earlier, the House Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, who was represented by the House Leader, Rep. Alhassan Doguwa expressed dismay that the country loses 400, 000 bpd to oil thieves

Gbajabiamila explained while declaring open the public inquiry that it is worrisome that the country loses 400, 000 oil barrels daily with the amount put at $1.7 billion and $20 billion revenue loss on a monthly and annual aggregate respectively.

Similarly, Chairman of the ad hoc committee, Rep. Akpatason, had alluded to 200, 000 barrel per day as the authentic figure of crude oil lost to the activities of oil thieves.

Meanwhile, the military and NNPC are to reappear before the House ad hoc committee at a closed session to give an unbiased insight into the level of oil theft and how the activities of the oil thieves can be stopped.