The senator representing Anambra South Senatorial District at the Red Chamber, Senator Dr Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah, has called for proactive measures towards combatting crude oil theft in the country. He made this call yesterday while chairing the Nigerian Senate Joint Committee Meeting on crude oil theft.
At the meeting which was attended by the representatives of the Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and Nigeria Customs Service, he emphasized on the need for collaborative efforts in combating the issue of crude oil theft in Nigeria.
He highlighted the detrimental effects of the illegal activity's of crude oil theft on the economy and the environment, and stressed the importance of taking decisive action to address the problem.
Senator Ubah further called for greater transparency and accountability in the oil industry, to prevent corruption and collusion with criminal elements, while reiterating that the commitment of the Joint Committee to collaborate with security agencies is very important, which will ensure that the community leaders and stakeholders help in curbing the menace.
The Joint Committee also discussed various strategies to tackle crude oil theft, including increasing surveillance and patrols in vulnerable areas, improving intelligence gathering and sharing among relevant agencies, and enhancing the legal framework to prosecute offenders.
The meeting was however productive and resulted in a commitment from all stakeholders to work together to combat crude oil theft in Nigeria.
Senator Ubah therefore appreciated the Chairmen of the Senate Committees on Petroleum (Upstream), Gas, Niger Delta and Host Communities who are also Co-Chairmen of the Joint Committees, for their commitment to ending the economic crime of Crude Oil Theft in Nigeria, said he is confident that with various presentations made, that concrete steps shall be taken to address this pressing issues associated with crude oil theft in the country.