NNPC, EFCC, other agencies to tackle petroleum products smuggling, oil theft

*The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation says stakeholders have agreed that smuggling is not a business that should be condoned because it brings extra cost burden on the country in terms of safety, security of supply, and foreign exchange earnings

Alexander Davis | ConsumerConnect

In order to curb the twin menace of petroleum products smuggling and crude oil theft negatively impacting the country’s economy, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) is collaborating with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Department of State Services (DSS), Nigeria Police Force (NPF), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and other relevant downstream and upstream stakeholders in the petroleum industry.

Dr. Kennie Obateru, Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division at NNPC, in a statement Wednesday, June 23, 2021, in Abuja, FCT, said Malam Mele Kyari, Group Managing Director (GMD) of the NNPC, disclosed this while speaking at a stakeholders’ meeting at the NNPC Towers, Abuja, FCT.

Crude oil theft in Niger Delta   Photo: Google

The statement noted that the move was at the instance of President Muhammadu Buhari, who mandated the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, NNPC, EFCC, and all other security agencies to do everything to stop crude oil theft and illicit truck-out of petroleum products in the country.

The NNPC stated the President described these menaces as major economic crimes that have hindered Nigerian consumers from enjoying the benefit of subsidised petroleum products.

Buhari urged all industry stakeholders to collaborate with the Corporation so as to ensure that the daily national petroleum products consumption, which shot up to 102million litres May 2021, is reduced to realistic levels around 60million litres.

It was obvious to all that the volume of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) otherwise known as petrol was not consumed by Nigerians alone, the statement noted.

Malam Kyari submitted: “We all agree that smuggling is not a business that should be condoned because even for deregulated petroleum products, it brings extra cost burden on this country both in terms of safety and security of supply and in securing of foreign exchange.

“It even constitutes more burden to this country when the product involved is a regulated product like Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).”

The NNPC GMD further explained that with the increasing price of crude oil at the global market and the OPEC+ production cuts, the country cannot afford to shoulder the cost of smuggling.

Kyari assured the stakeholders, saying, “we all know that our daily consumption is not up to 60million litres.

“We all know that, and that is why we have to pull it down. We will pull it down by every means necessary.”

The NNPC would emplace Advanced Cargo Declaration in line with global best practices to tackle the issue of crude oil theft in the country, said he.

Abdulrasheed Bawa, Executive Chairman of EFCC, at the stakeholders; meeting in Abuja, likewise expressed the readiness of the anti-graft Commission to work with the NNPC to ensure that all those involved in the economic sabotage were brought to book.

The Major Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN), Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMA), Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD), and all the other stakeholders also expressed readiness to partner the NNPC to bring an end to petroleum products smuggling in the country.

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