Oil Ministry, CDS Vow to Curb Crude Oil Theft in Niger Delta

SEATTLE (Oil Monster): Nigeria’s Minister of State Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri and the Chief of Defence Staff, Major General Christopher Musa have vowed to curb oil theft and pipeline vandalism in the Niger Delta region.

According to them, oil theft has resulted in significant cut in oil production. The notable dip in oil exports has impacted the country’s economy in a bad way.

The Minister noted that a disciplined oil and gas sector could solve Nigeria’s economic problems. The measures aimed at ramping up production and preventing oil theft and vandalism would provide more financial stability. This will not only fund the budget, but will also add to its foreign exchange reserves, he added.

Meantime, Musa declared that the military is committed to end oil theft and vandalism in the region. This is one among the several challenges being faced by the country. He extended the full support of the armed forces of Nigeria to the federal government and the ministry to help the country benefit from its vast natural resources.

He hoped that the coordinated efforts by the military, ministry of petroleum and other stakeholders, including the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), will help the country achieve the desired results.