Uncovers Illegal Oil Refining Sites In Egbeda, Trucking Lines And Dumps In Ibaa
The chairman of Emohua local government area, Dr Chidi Lloyd has accused officials of multinational companies of aiding oil bunkering activities in the local government area.
He said operators of illegal artisanal petroleum refineries cannot have access to unrefined products without the collaboration of key officials of the pipeline operating and servicing companies.
The council chairman stated this when he led a combined team of security personnel to discover new illegal petroleum refining sites in Egbeda community in Emohua LGA on Wednesday.
According to the council chairman; operators of illegal artisanal petroleum refineries can only know when there is pressure in a pipeline with the assistance of key officials of the operating company or the pipeline serving company.
Dr. Lloyd also accused petroleum marketers and tanker drivers of promoting illegal oil bunkering activities by engaging in the transportation and distribution of illegally refined petroleum products from the oil thieves.
He wondered why petroleum marketers association and tanker drivers union have not been able to caution their members from lifting criminally refined petroleum products from the illegal artisanal refineries across Rivers State.
Speaking further, Dr Chidi Lloyd described the silence of shell petroleum development company (SPDC) and other multinationals over the ongoing war against illegal oil bunkering activities in Rivers State as a direct indictment on the companies.
In his words; ” Up till now, nothing has been heard from Shell and other multinationals regarding this illegal oil bunkering activities. Does it mean that they are not aware of what’s been happening in the state ?
“Since the marching order from the governor to the council chairmen, we have not heard anything from the operators of the pipelines that were being vandalized by these illegal artisanal petroleum refiners, not even a word of commendation to the governor and the council chairmen”.
He added that the war against illegal oil bunkering activities which has been identified as the main cause of soot pandemic in Rivers State requires the total support of the first tier of government which has the exclusive powers over oil exploration in the country, stressing that the war against illegal oil bunkering and artisanal petroleum refining cannot be won with the present disposition of the federal government of Nigeria.
He however commended the governor of Rivers State, H.E Nyesom Ezenwo Wike for championing the fight against soot pandemic in the state through the marching order given to local government council chairmen to dislodge operators of illegal artisanal petroleum refineries across the state, which is already yielding positive result across the state.
The council chairman and his team also stormed Ibaa community, where several trucking lines and residential houses used to store illegally refined petroleum products in commercial quantities were uncovered.
Dr. Lloyd frowned at the massive storage of illegally refined petroleum products in residential environments across Ibaa community and warned against its consequences on residents of the community, expressing fear of imminent fire outbreak that may consume lives and properties in the area, as a result of the use of residential buildings as trucking lines and storage facility by oil thieves in the community.
He directed the local government taskforce on illegal oil bunkering to effect the immediate evacuation of the illegally refined petroleum products intercepted in course of the raid, as well as the impoundment of the vehicles used to transport the products, while the suspected perpetuators apprehended in course of the raid are expected to be arraigned in court on Thursday.
Bright Jossy Elendu
Chief Press Secretary To The Chairman,
Emohua Local Govt Area.
16/2/2022
