by Zainab Suleiman Okino
An Ijaw leader and a delegate representing federal government at the ongoing National Conference, Chief Edwin Clack, has alleged that both retired and serving military officers are neck deep in illegal oil bunkering in Niger Delta.
The Ijaw leader revealed this at the plenary on while speaking on the report of the committee on Public Finance and Revenue chaired by Alhaji Adamu Aliero. The elder statesman, also supported the recommendation of the committee for total removal of the fuel subsidy.
He said that upon discovery of the illicit deals, he reported the case to the then President Olusegun Obasanjo who directed his Minister of Defence, Theophilius Danjuma to investigate.
Clark, accordingly advised the Federal Government to constantly change the troop in the Niger Delta region to forestall such connivance.
He said: “The military officers who are in Niger Delta have hand in stealing this oil. I made this point to President Obasanjo and he asked Danjuma who was there as Minister of Defence to look through and he went and found that it was true.
“So, some of these military officers, either retired or serving officers, what I will suggest is that the troops in the Niger Delta should be changed from time to time. In doing so, you will find that the stealing of oil will reduce, he said.
While supporting total removal of subsidy, the Ijaw leader took delegates back memory lane and narrated how in 1972 as Commissioner for Finance in the defunct Mid-West state, he travelled with former President Shehu Shagari who was then Federal Commissioner for Finance to Forcados terminal where Nigeria crude oil was being exported and discovered that government officials were just interested in what comes to them.
He added that one hardly knew how much oil is taken away from our shores, saying that it has been published in newspapers.
“We discovered in1972 that the government officials who were there, were more interested in what they can get than protecting the interest of Nigeria. That is you hardly knew how much oil was taken away from our shores. It was published in the newspapers then; till today, I do believe that if you go to Forcados terminal the same story will be told,” he said.
The Delta State born elder statesman noted that the youth of the area only embark on bucket bunkering which is in a small scale as they don’t possess the technological know-how required for such operation. He said the real thieves are those who came from abroad
He said “Number two, we are talking about oil theft, I have always said that our young men at home do bucket bunkering. They have no facility, they also lack the technology, but those who steal this oil are people who come from abroad. Have we forgotten the case where three admirals were fully involved? They were court marshaled”.