Nigerian Military Are Neck Deep In Oil Theft..Edwin Clark

IJAW leader and a delegate representing the Federal Government at the ongoing national conference, Edwin Clark, has alleged that both retired and serving military officers are neck-deep in oil bunkering in the Niger Delta.

Clark disclosed this at the plenary on Tuesday, while speaking on the report of the Committee on Public Finance and Revenue, chaired by Alhaji  Adamu Aliero. The elder statesman, also supported the recommendation of the committee for total removal of fuel subsidy.

He revealed that upon discovery of the illicit deal, he reported the case to the then President Olusegun Obasanjo, who directed his Minister of Defence, Theophilius Danjuma, to investigate.

Clark, accordingly advised the Federal Government to constantly change the troop in the Niger Delta region to forestall such connivance.  

He said: “The military officers in the Niger Delta have hand in oil theft. I pointed this out to President Obasanjo and he told Danjuma, who was the then Minister of Defence to look into the matter; it was found to be true.

“I will suggest that the troop in the Niger Delta should be changed from time to time. By so doing, you will see that oil theft will be reduced,” he said.

While supporting total removal of subsidy, the Ijaw leader took delegates down  memory lane and narrated how in 1972, as Commissioner for Finance in the defunct Mid-West state, he travelled with former President Shehu Shagari, who was then Federal Commissioner for Finance to Forcados terminal, where Nigeria’s crude oil was being exported and discovered that government officials were just interested in what came to them first before protecting the interest of Nigeria.

He also said one hardly knew how much oil was taken away from our shores, saying it had been published in newspapers.

The Delta State-born elder statesman noted that the youth of the area only engaged in ‘bucket bunkering’, that is, on a small scale, as they don’t possess the technological know-how required for such operation, but went on to say that the real thieves were those who came from abroad.

He also advocated inclusion of youths in a particular community in guarding oil pipelines, saying he once approached President Obasanjo with this proposal.