Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, on Thursday ordered Commanders of defence and security agencies involved in the fight against illegal crude oil bunkering in the Niger Delta to end the criminal activities in Niger Delta region in two weeks.
General Musa, who gave the order during a meeting with security heads in Operation Delta Safe in the Niger Delta Region at the 6 Division of the Nigerian Army, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, said President Ahmed Bola Tinubu was not happy about the decline in oil production.
Musa said that the decline in oil production output was not healthy for the nation’s economy and directed all the heads of security agencies in Operation Niger Delta Safe to live up to expectation and halt the menace in two weeks.
He said that federal government had targeted an increased oil production output of 2.5million barrels of crude oil per day and warned that any security personnel that sabotage government efforts in achieving the target would be prosecuted.
The CDS said that the security agencies has the responsibility to help relevant companies involved in oil production achieve minimum production output saying that the 2.5m barrels per day crude oil production is achievable if there is an end to oil theft.
According to the Chief of Defence Staff: “We have the Minister of Petroleum, oil, on the ground to inform the troops that it’s high time we stopped the act of oil theft in the Niger Delta, that is the essence. I want to assure Nigerians that we are all working together with all the security forces, the NNPC, all the IOCs to ensure that we stop this menace of pipeline vandalism, oil theft.
“All we need is to ensure that the companies are supported to make sure they produce maximally. Like the minister mentioned, we are targeting 2.5m barrels per day, that is achievable, that is what we are targeting and I want to assure you that we will achieve that.
“I am giving the Commanders two weeks ultimatum to bring these criminal activities to an end. Two weeks is two weeks to bring to an end all oil theft activities. It is not that we are going to get the 2.5m barrels over night but if we can stop the criminality and then we can move forward.
“This is to ensure that we assist relevant companies to ensure that production improves towards 2.5m barrels per day. They have a task and Mr President is not happy and it’s their responsibility. So the President has given them six months for maximum result but you the commanders have two weeks to halt oil theft. It’s not going to be business as usual because we can stop oil theft if we are determined.
“You are all part of the problem. The economy is not doing well and the only sure way is to improve production or there will be consequences. It is what we can stop.”
He appealed to the security agencies to stop whatever they have been doing in the past and warned that anyone caught in any act of oil theft will bear the consequences.
General Musa emphasized the need for team work to achieve the desired targets stressing that if any security operative is arrested, the Commander of the unit would be punished for it.
@Daily Trust
