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In opposition to the backdrop of the endless theft of crude oil in Nigeria, Human Rights Activist, Chief Femi Falana, on Monday tasked the federal authorities to put in know-how to observe crude oil theft within the nation.
He mentioned the Nigerian Nationwide Petroleum Company (NNPC) now the Nigerian Nationwide Petroleum Firm Restricted (NNPC Ltd) had seven years in the past acquired N50 billion value of kit which has not been put in, asking it to instantly set up the know-how to cease crude oil theft.
Falana spoke on the thirteenth Memorial Lecture and Social Night time Tribute to honour the reminiscence of Foremost Human Proper Activist and Social Crusader, Chief Gani Fawehinmi.
The memorial attracted the crème de la crème of the civil society together with some 2023 Presidential candidates akin to Omoyele Sowore of the African Motion Congress (AAC), Adewole Adebayo of the Social Democratic Get together (SDP), amongst others.
Falana who chaired the lecture regretted the continuing debate over oil theft, saying easy know-how which the federal government has acquired would have stopped the menace.
Day by day Belief studies that the Comptroller-Common of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), Col. Hameed Ali, rtd, had punctured the declare of 68m litres each day petroleum provide however the NNPCL had mentioned it was prepared for a forensic audit on the difficulty.
Talking on the event, Falana mentioned the federal government has refused to undertake trendy know-how in monitoring the each day petrol provide to be able to maintain the pilfering of the nation’s sources.
“We are saying it with profound respect that it’s a disgrace that Nigeria is the oil producing nation on this planet that imports gas and different petroleum merchandise.
“Secondly, we need to say this publicly that the NNPC acquired a software program seven years in the past to observe and observe each tanker loading gas in Nigeria and that software program was put in with about 50 billion Naira.
“You might be instructed that 400 barrels of crude oil are stolen each day in Nigeria. Nigeria is the one oil producing nation that has refused to put in a metre to understand how a lot oil is produced each day. The federal government of smugglers has refused to put in the mandatory know-how.
“Why the federal government has refused to be trendy is that this: in the event that they set up the know-how, there gained’t be stealing.
“So we’re saying right here right this moment that the NNPC should confide in Nigerians why the software program acquired seven years in the past has been disabled by the federal government in order that tankers can take out gas.
“Gasoline is taken out by tankers not by Okadas. So you will want not less than 2000 tankers to take out the amount of gas that they’re saying is smuggled in a foreign country and that isn’t doable. We’re additionally difficult the federal government to put in the machine, the meter, that permits the federal government to know the amount of gas that’s produced each day.
“There may be a world delivery firm. Each ship that takes gas from anyplace on this planet is monitored. The way in which our oil is stolen. The purpose of taking out oil, the ship is loaded and the prison taking out the gas will decide what number of litres of gas is being smuggled then gather cash.
“Between January 2011 and Feb 2014, it was found that crude oil left Nigeria to Philadelphia port alone and never recorded in Nigeria was 62 million barrels valued at 12.7 billion {Dollars}. Your Nationwide Meeting folks, together with the folks from Lagos, should not asking questions.
“So once we go away right here, they have to be wise in every of their constituencies. You will need to ask questions why they’re making this fraud. If we are able to begin with Lagos, we are able to do this all around the nation.”
Sowore extolled Gani Fawehinmi’s virtues, saying he stood for the Nigerian folks in his lifetime.
“There should not sufficient individuals who have been standing up for the Nigerian folks and it’s not honest and sincere.
“Gani is a person who dared the satan and is an inspiration to all people who’s a daredevil. When no person may create a political get together on this nation, he created one in 1994 below navy rule. “After some time he was betrayed. His NCP (Nationwide Conscience Get together) has change into one thing else. We shouldn’t have NCP anymore.
“Gani all the time stood for justice. In 1999 when the navy was leaving, Gani instructed us that we are able to’t belief the navy and we should always simply go and discover one thing to do. That was how I left Nigeria. By 2003 when he determined to run for workplace, the thieves had consolidated their mode of energy.
“Gani couldn’t boast of any sizable electoral numbers. I’m not right here to justify the numbers as a result of they’ve by no means held free and honest elections on this nation earlier than. If free and honest elections are there, there isn’t any approach I might not have defeated Buhari in 2019.”
