By Linus Aleke, Abuja
The Joint Task Force, South-South, Operation Delta Safe (OPDS), Maritime Component Commander, Commodore Adedokun John Siyanbade, said, the barter arrangements between Nigerian and Cameroonian smugglers of rice and stolen petroleum products are responsible for the perennial fuel scarcity in the Ibaka area of Akwa Ibom State.
Commodore Siyanbade, who said this while, welcoming the visiting journalists to the headquarters of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS), Soroh, in Yenagoa, also explained that perpetrators of oil theft in Ibaka, exchange the stolen petroleum products with rice smuggled from Cameroon.
According to him, if you go to Ibaka, Mbo local government area of Akwa Ibom State, there are lots of petrol stations but they are perennially out of stock.
The oil thieves in the area, he said exchange the products with smuggled rice from Cameroon and the Cameroonian smugglers receive petroleum products in exchange for their rice.
He noted that the barter system is very strong in the area and that explains the perennial scarcity of petroleum products.
Asked if the military is making an effort to re-channel the recovered stolen products to domestic use, the OPDS Maritime Component Commander, said that the military had engaged the International Oil Companies (IOCs), and Modular Refinery Operators in the region over such a possibility.
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According to him, the IOC said that the stolen products cannot be remedied in their facilities as it will be cheaper to work on crude than clean up the poorly refined petroleum products from the oil thieves.
While noting that discussion is still ongoing with the Modular Refinery Owners, the Commander said that it does not make any economic sense to transport the recovered products to the refining sites for purification for domestic use.
He explained that it is cheaper to burn the recovered oil, as the security and transportation of the products to the Modular Refineries would be capital intensive.
Speaking on how the JTF frustrated the activities of pirates and sea robbers, Commodore Siyanbade, said: “During the period in focus, the JTF conducted several clearance operations aimed at ridding the JOA of militants and sea pirates/sea robbers taking refuge within the camps. During the period about 14 such camps were destroyed, as a result of the sustained tempo of clearance operations on sea robbers/pirates and other criminals’ camps within the JOA. Currently, the number of sea robbery and piracy cases in Nigerian waters as well as the Gulf of Guinea are at lowest and zero level respectively”.
He however assured that the Force would continue to maintain the tempo of clearance operations of all criminals’ camps to sustain current gains.
He said that the JTF OPDS employs non-kinetic approaches to address some issues and challenges.
The major non-kinetic effort of the OPDS, he said, is the Civil-Military Cooperation (CIMIC) mediation efforts to resolve mostly Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) related disputes between host communities and Oil and Gas Companies.
“So far in 2024, the JF has amicably resolved about 23 CSR-related disputes involving oil companies such as; CHEVRON, SEEPCO, SPDC, AITEO, NECONDE and NAOC among others, with their host communities. These CSRs significantly contributed to providing a conducive environment for oil and gas businesses to thrive.
“The OPDS carry out routine community outreaches that impact on the wellbeing of the populace. These include medical outreaches, scholarships for indigent students, and various ecological support such as the clearing of canals to reduce the impact of flooding on communities. A very good example is the annual end-of-year programme organised by HQ OPDS where some members of the immediate Igbogene Community that host the HQ are supported with palliatives and incentives”.
On his part, the Commander, NNS Soroh, Commodore Nanmar Sunday Lakan, said, Operation Delta Safe covers no fewer than 10 states.
The Maritime components units, he said have five type A bases, comprising all the Navy Ship bases in its area of responsibility, and six type B bases which comprise of Forward Operating Base (FOB).
He said that no fewer than 198 illegal refining sites were demobilized within six months.
He, however, noted that the issue of store away is not part of its mandate.
While, explaining that the issue of store away has been with us since the 60s, Commander NNS Soroh, charged the media to educate the citizens on the dangers of fleeing their fatherland through illegal means.
