Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, has accused the military, the police and other security agencies of involvement in the oil theft going on in the Niger Delta region. He asserted that the Federal Government should consider the damage caused by the activities of crude oil thieves to the national economy and treat the oil thieves as treasonable offenders.
According to him, the fight to stop oil theft has continued to fail because top-ranking officers of the military and other security outfits in Nigeria are deeply involved in the crime. Wike made the observation on Monday when he hosted the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshall Isiaka Amao, who paid him a courtesy visit at the Government House, Port Harcourt on Monday. The governor stated that it was not only wastage witnessed when oil thieves perpetrated their acts, but also degradation of the environment. “You know this bunkering cannot stop; let’s be serious about it, everybody is involved. The military is involved. Police are involved. The Nigeria Civil Defence Corps is involved.
If not, there is no way bunkering can continue. It’s a terrible thing. “I don’t know whether we should take the issue of bunkering to be more serious than treason. If you go around and see what has happened to our environment, you’ll have pity on us,” he said. The governor also wants members of the military task force deployed to arrest oil thieves to find a better and environmentally friendly way of destroying oil theft sites in the state, asserting that when the task force blows up and sets those sites aflame, they increase soot in the atmosphere that has become another grave environmental concern in the state.
“If there is another civilised way to go about it, so that while you’re doing the right thing, let us not die, then you should find another way to reduce this soot. “Unfortunately, we have no helper. On the other hand, we will continue praying to God to touch the minds of these bunkerers,” he added. Commenting on the war against insurgency, Gov. Wike commended the military for the success that they had achieved in reducing the level of carnage caused by Boko Haram terrorists and bandits in parts of the country.
But the governor noted that greater success could be achieved by deploying more military strategies, which are better than media publicity. “Let me also thank you for what you are doing about the insurgency fight in the country. I do believe that strategy is very key in the fight against insurgency. It is not publicity. “When you’re winning a war, the people will feel it. When people are secure, you don’t need to go on television to tell them that they’re secure.
They’ll know from the environment that there are a lot of changes going on and that is the way Nigerians believe that, yes, we are winning the war against insurgency,” he added Wike pointed out that the prevailing peace in Rivers State was achieved because of the existing cooperation between all the heads of security agencies with the state government. According to him, Rivers people are comfortable and feel safe in their communities, and they can go about their normal business without undue molestation from outlaws.
He assured the Nigerian Air Force of continuing the existing cordial relations between it and the state government that started from the administration of former Governor Peter Odili. The governor also urged the Nigerian Air Force to deploy the two armoured helicopters donated to them by the Rivers State Government, in order to improve surveillance in the fight against criminality.
Responding, the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshall Isiaka Amao said he was on an operational visit to the 115 Special Operation Group in Rivers State and decided to pay a courtesy visit to the governor, who had contributed immensely to the functioning of the air force base in Port Harcourt. Air Marshal Amao commended the governor for the good work he had continued to do in Rivers State in terms of the provision of infrastructure.
“We commend you for being able to contain the security situation in the state. Rivers State has been a very peaceful state. That is why, most of the time, I and the service chiefs have to focus on other places with many problems. “The governor is able to achieve this state of peace because from the brief I got from my officer, he has been a very good coordinator and also assists the security agencies in the discharge of their duties,” Amao added. Air Marshal Amao also thanked Governor Wike for the financial support given to the families of officers that had died in the line of duty in the state.