Crusaders for Niger Delta Community Development (CNDCD), on Wednesday, commended the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Christopher Musa, for sustained efforts in the fight against pipeline vandalism and illegal bunkering.
The CNDCD, a sociocultural group, also praised the Nigerian military for the kinetic and non-kinetic approaches to ending oil theft since it began its renewed fight as directed by President Bola Tinubu.
The group, in a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Mr Jesse Ese, said the nation’s oil production output had taken a new shape since the current set of service chiefs came onboard.
Ese observed that with the efforts, the oil production output had climbed from 1.3 million barrels per day to 1.8 million bpd.
He said he believed that more would be achieved if the CDS sustained the tempo, especially with collaboration with mass mobilisation groups like Movement for the Survival of the Izon Ethnic Nationality in the Niger Delta (MOSIEND) which has enough grassroots presence.
He, however, urged the Federal Government and the military to understand that while they are winning the war against oil theft and pipeline vandalism, there is need to consider having a win-win situation to reduce the huge investments in pipeline security.
According Ese, the Federal Government must understand that the reasons behind crude oil theft and illegal refining of petroleum products are not unconnected to economic depression which has left young people with no other option than to steal for survival.
“While we are recording increase in the nation’s oil production output, there’s an urgent need for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Chief of Defence Staff, General Musa Christopher, the Federal Executive Council, as well as the National Assembly to come up with a framework that provides room for the survival of those who are involved.
“We want to call on the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, and the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPCL, Mele Kyari, to also begin to look into this direction,” he said.
