The House of Representatives Special Committee on crude Oil Theft/Losses, has declared its resolve to expose those behind the perennial crime in Nigeria, and ensure that the culprits are brought to book.
Chairman of the committee, Alhassan Ado Doguwa said the committee and the House will help President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration to tackle the attendant consequences of oil theft, which he said was choking the nation’s economy for decades running.
According to him, the criminality and sabotage going on in the oil sector is drawing the economy back and pushing the government to resort to massive borrowing internally and externally which he said must be tackled head on, adding that the committee has vowed to do all it takes to save the Tinubu led administration from the unfortunate happenings in the oil producing areas.
Doguwa who is also Chairman of the House Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream) stated this over the weekend, while speaking on the ongoing stakeholders engagement with industry players, security agencies and other stakeholders involved in the fight against crude oil theft and other criminal activities.
While reiterating that the Committee was mandated by the Speaker, Abbas Tajuddeen to unravel and unearth the remote and immediate causes of the devastating economic effect of oil theft, he said “We will make sure the committee brings to book the culprits and their political cohorts. The attendant consequences of these dastardly crimes against the economy will obviously not allow our economy to breath.
“This was a public engagement with stakeholders in the oil and gas sector on Tuesday 13th August 2024 at the National Assembly complex, discharging our duty as Chair and members of the ‘House Special Committee On Crude Oil Theft.
“We can not in anyway afford to allow our Tinubu/Apc led government continue to wallow into global borrowing as a result of consequencial leakages in the production circle of the oil and gas sector, largely caused by youth restiveness and unacceptable vandalisation of our critical infrastructure by vandals and criminals in the creeks”.
Doguwa noted that President Tinubu’s commitment and determination to bring prosperity and economic wellbeing to Nigeria, adding that the legislative agenda of the 10th House of Representatives as rolled out by its leadership will help the government deliver on its commitments to the people of Nigeria.
