Felix Otuwarikpo, the traditional Ruler of Upata kingdom in Ahoada East, Rivers, has alleged that the elite class is involved in crude oil theft and sabotage in the Niger Delta Region.
Otuwarikpo stated this at the opening of the 2026 press week of the Correspondents’ Chapel, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Rivers Council.
He said that such organised crime that had become a money spinning business could not be funded or sponsored by poor and uneducated people.
According to him, it is wrong to blame illiteracy and poverty for oil theft, sabotage and environmental pollution in the Niger Delta Region.
Otuwaripkpo urged journalists to be more critical in reporting the oil sector in order to expose members of the elite class that sponsored crude oil theft and economic sabotage.
The traditional ruler expressed worry at the worsening ecological damage caused by decades of oil activities in the region.
“Pipelines vandalism and crude oil theft are fast destroying sources of livelihoods in oil bearing communities.
“The elite sponsor people to indulge in pipelines vandalism at the community level, so we should begin to look beyond blaming poverty and illiteracy.
“We should broaden our assertions to include elite class involvement in order to find lasting solutions.
“The media is expected to come to our rescue, they should work towards salvaging our nation by critically exposing societal ills. Our country may not survive if journalism fails,” he said .
The Keynote Speaker, Mr Nnimmo Bassey, the Executive Director, Health of Mother Earth Foundation, urged oil companies to be intentional about environmental preservation.
Bassy further urged journalists to continue drawing government’s attention to the plight of residents of oil bearing communities.
“This will help to address the issues of eroding livelihoods and environmental degradation that bedevil the communities in the Niger Delta region,” he said.
Earlier, the chapel Chairman, Mr Amaechi Okonkwo said that the media would continue to give voice to the yearnings and aspirations of the ordinary people.
The theme of the week is: “The Imperative of Comprehensive Clean-up of the Niger Delta Environment: The Role of the Media”
