….Doubts ability of security agencies to stem orgy of economic sabotage
Worried by the perennial theft of crude oil and pipeline vandalization, the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria,TUC has advocated the deployment of drones to check the high rate of crude oil theft in the country.
The Congress expressed doubts over the ability of security agencies to guide the pipelines,noting that most of them(soldiers) may indeed, be complicit in the spate of oil theft.
The President of TUC, Festus Osifo who stated these while briefing news men in Lagos lamented that oil theft not only results in a drop in oil revenue for the government but also creates environmental pollution and other health hazards for the host communities.
Recall that the Group Executive Officer NNPC Limited, Mallam Mele Kyari reportedly said recently that Nigeria currently losses about $2 billion monthly to the activities of oil vandals with its attendant effect on environmental degradation.
Industry watchers are also dismayed over the failure of the Federal Government to cash in on the current spike in crude oil prices,lamenting that while other oil producing countries are making a kill of the current production quota allocated to oil producers by the Organization of Oil Exporting Countries(OPEC),the Federal Government is counting losses.
Towards this end, the TUC boss said: “the affiliates of TUC and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria(PENGASSA) are planning sensitization across the six geo-political zones ,because we felt that it is fundamentally wrong for crude oil theft to continue unchecked.”
Osifo also lamented that the nation’s excess crude account has been depleted to ground zero,stressing that aside from the initial seed fund of $ 1billion,there has been no funding in the last ten years.
He appealed to the Federal Government to wakeup from its slumber and do the needful , pointing out that governance is about ensuring that citizens enjoy the wealth of the nation.
Osifo :”The Federal Government must implement stiffer penalties on culprits involved in crude oil theft.This will serve as a deterrent”.
Commenting on some national issues namely,insecurity,prolonged ASUU strike, dwindling economy as well as the sliding nature of the nation’s currency to the US dollar, Osifo said:”You (Government)must be proactive,innovative and scientific in tackling the issues of terrorism ravaging the country”.
Osifo recalled the resolutions reached at the recently concluded Trennial Delegates Conference in Abuja which is still being contested in court by aggrieved members and hinted that the Congress was exploring the chances of out of court settlement of the impasse.
He urged government to revisit the failed privatisation of public utilities,instead of going ahead to privatise more enterprises.
He warned that Organized Labour would resist further privatization of government enterprises,urging government to fix the issues of DISCOs and GENCOs which they earlier privatized.
He said:” We say no to privatization of General Hospitals or tertiary health institutions across the country. The common man will no longer access affordable healthcare.If we allow government to sell all these hospitals to businessmen, we are finished”, noting that the country lacks strong regulatory bodies for stri ct adherence to rules.
