Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — The Department of State Services says the reason why many youths were engaged in oil theft and illegal oil bunkering activities was due to unemployment.
DSS Director in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State, Glory Ake, said this at a stakeholder meeting on illegal bunkering and artisanal oil refining in Omoku, organised by the Council Chairman Hon Vincent Job, recently.
The DSS boss charged oil operators and contractors in the area to provide jobs for the youth, so as to stem the tide of illegal oil bunkering in the area.
Ake added that DSS was keying into the process of arresting and prosecuting anyone found vandalizing or involved in oil theft, in line with the directive of Governor Nyesom Wike to stamped out illegal oil bunkering and refining activities in the state, which was a major cause of black soot.
She warned that the Department would not hesitate in discharging any of its personnel found culpable in aiding the activities of oil theft.
“I make bold to tell everyone here that if you find any DSS personnel involved in aiding or abetting oil theft and illegal oil bunkering, please report to us, and we will have the person discharged from the service because illegal oil bunkering is not part of our mandate.
“We also want to tell the contractors and oil operators like Agip, Total and other companies operating here that the reason why youths are involved in oil theft is because of joblessness. If they(youths) are gainfully employed, they will not be involved in these things.
“So I want to appeal to the oil companies operating in this area, to provide jobs to our youths so that they will be gainfully employed and will not have the chance to do illegal oil bunkering. I am not here to kill the youths.”
Also speaking, the Divisional Officer of NSCDC in ONELGA, Eze Victory, accused political elites of interfering in the fight against oil theft, by consistently calling for the released of bunkering suspects when arrested.
“When we arrest suspects, it’s still the politicians and elites who are always calling us for the released of these arrested suspects. Political elites should stop calling our bosses and interfering; they will say he is my boy please release him.
“Oil companies should respect MoUs with host communities. If they keep to what they promised the communities, I don’t think youths will go to break their pipelines. They should empower the youths too, because an idle mind is the devil’s workshop.”
It will be recalled that Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike, has given a standing order to the 23 local government chairmen in the state, traditional rulers and all security agencies to stamped out illegal oil bunkering and refining activities in the state, which has been a major cause of black soot.
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