Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has urged the Chief of Army Staff, Taoreed Lagbaja, to take action against crude oil theft and the illicit refining of petroleum products within the state.
According to Channels, he made this request during a meeting with the Chief of Army Staff at the Government House in Port Harcourt, where they discussed the Army’s preparedness to respond to emergencies and security challenges.
Governor Fubara raised a specific concern about the issue of bunkering, particularly in Ahoada East and Ogba-Egbema regions.
He emphasized the need to address the challenges posed by what he described as the cooperation between the Army and certain prominent oil companies in these areas.
“Let me also draw the attention of the Armed Forces to one special problem we are having here: the issue of bunkering. In some parts of our states – the Ahoada East and Ogba-Egbema – most of the bunkering activities there, we believe – I won’t say sponsored – but there is this cooperation between the Army and some high top oil companies,” he said Friday.
While refraining from explicitly suggesting sponsorship, the Governor highlighted the troubling relationship between the Army and these companies in regions known for bunkering activities.
Furthermore, Governor Fubara revealed an obstruction of a road construction project in Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni, which he believes may intersect with the illicit activities associated with bunkering.
He lamented the interference by military personnel working on behalf of these undisclosed companies, stating, “Each time we approach the company, ‘Please, why don’t you allow us to go ahead with our job?’ The military will always come and attack our contractors.”
Governor Fubara made it clear that he does not perceive these actions as directives from the Army Headquarters or the 6 Division but rather as potentially unauthorized collaborations between specific oil companies and the officers stationed in these regions.
He called on the Chief of Army Staff to address this issue promptly, appealing for a thorough examination of the matter.
