The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has urged the Federal Government to introduce stiff penalties for illegal crude oil bunkering in the Niger Delta.
IPMAN’s Financial Secretary, Western Zone, Alhaji Adebisi Bada, said in Lagos that crude oil theft and illegal refineries constituted a serious threat to Nigeria’s economy.
Bada urged the government to deal appropriately with persons involved in illegal oil bunkering to serve as deterrent to would-be oil thieves.
The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has urged the Federal Government to introduce stiff penalties for illegal crude oil bunkering in the Niger Delta.
IPMAN’s Financial Secretary, Western Zone, Alhaji Adebisi Bada, said in Lagos that crude oil theft and illegal refineries constituted a serious threat to Nigeria’s economy.
Bada urged the government to deal appropriately with persons involved in illegal oil bunkering to serve as deterrent to would-be oil thieves.
According to him, “the issue of illegal refineries is most unfortunate; some stakeholders have been urging the government to provide a level playing ground for people so that private refineries can come up.“Up till now, none has come up and some people are having illegal refineries to scoop away our resources.
“The government through the JTF and whatever it has put in place, should continue to ensure that such illegal refineries are not encouraged”, he challenged.
He said statistics showed that large quantities of crude oil were being carted away through illegal bunkering.
Bada noted that such an act affects the growth of the country and constitutes an impediment to the socio-economic development.
“Such an act is not fair to the economy of Nigeria as we are losing the main means of our income to theft through illegal crude oil bunkering across the creeks. ’’
He, however, advised the government to evolve measures, including implementing existing laws, to dismantle illegal oil cartels.
“Appropriate laws are there, appropriate laws for thieves, for those who engage in such things. When refineries were being built in Nigeria there were appropriate laws in forms of decrees which are now acts of Parliament.
“The appropriate laws are there that illegal refineries cannot be allowed, I am well aware that the laws are there, so the government should just apply the laws.”
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