An anti-corruption group based in the United Kingdom,the Stakeholder Democraticย Network (SDN) has frowned at the priority given by the Federalย Government to security action against crude oil theft at the detrimentย of the needed environmental protection action against oil spillages inย the Niger Delta region.
According to the group, though theย activities of crude oil thieves is reducing the economic earnings of the nation,the excessive focus and security actions against illegalย bunkering and crude oil theft is a poor reflection of the policy focusย and sign of wickedness against the people of the Niger Delta by theย Federal Government.
The country coordinator of the group,Comradeย Inemo Samiama,in a statement made available to news men in Yenagoa, heย saidย the group’s position was fueled by the lack of action on the KS Endeavour blowout in 2012 and the excessive focus or campaigns onย illegal oil theft and illegal oil refineries should distract fromย addressing this shortfall.
“The 2012 isย ย typical of a year where much was put in the public domain about oilย spills especially those from illegal refineries, but too little was done to address the massive gap between Nigeria’s spill record and itsย capacity to contain and clean up oil spills. The most fortunate eventย in 2012 was that the Chevron rig that exploded in the early hours ofย January 16th was tasked to gas rather than oil exploration. However theย lack of any substantive government response or meaningful investigationย (other than accepting flyovers provided by the company) was a hallmarkย of all that is wrong in the industry”, the group stated.
They went further, “Even one of the mostย dramatic pieces of investigative journalism for the year – whereย Thomson Reuters raised many questions about events leading up to theย blowout – did nothing to stir action on globally one of the very fewย rigs destroyed in this manner since the Macando disaster in the Gulf ofย Mexico.
The lack of action on the KS Endeavour blowout was typical of a year where much was put in the public domain about oilย spills-especially those from illegal refineries- but too little was done to address the massive gap between Nigeria’s spill record and itsย capacity to contain and clean up oil spills. No amount of hype,ย excessive focus or campaigns on illegal oil theft and illegal oilย refineries should distract from addressing this shortfall. “
Theย belated formation of Hyprep was one step that is still in its formativeย stages on action over existing oil spills but based on available dataย there has been no overall progress on reducing the massive volumes ofย oil spilt each year. There is an urgent need for clarity on exactly what actions will be taken on oil spill clean up – both by Hyprep and anyย other agencies. The year ended on a sour note with two reported coastalย oil spills from Exxon-Mobil as a reminder of how much needs to be doneย to end routine spills.”
