The President of the Ijaw Youth Council at a meeting in Yenagoa on Monday, advocated for legalizing bush refineries and oil bunkering in the Niger Delta.
President of IYC, Udengs Eradiri, said the government’s effort to resolve oil theft over the past 50 years hasn’t worked, “We think that it is time for Nigeria to chart a new course. And in charting a new course, we will be promoting the legalization of bunkering in the Niger Delta.”
He added, “…our people have shown to the world that the same technology they used in producing local gin is the same technology they are using to produce diesel.”
Oil bunkering is done either through hacking into an oil pipeline to steal crude and taking crude from leaking pipelines. Bush refineries are used to refine the crude for selling. A government-funded study found between 2009-2011 $10.9 billion was lost in revenue from oil theft. A Joint Military Taskforce to combat oil theft has reduced the number of bush refineries but the practice persists.
President Eradiri said the problem of oil bunkering would be over if it was legalized and the refined oil was handed over to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company. It would also end fuel scarcity.
“We believe that the government of the day will take this opportunity to build the capacity of our people in this regard. …we will have saved the environment, we will have created jobs and above all, our environment will be sustained,” he said.
President Eradiri made his remarks during a swearing in of national executives of the Ijaw Youth Council.
Justice Ebiyerin Umukoro, a High Court Judge in Bayelsa performed the oath of office on Eradiri and other national officers including Rasaq Amatoru, Deputy President, Bristol Emmanuel, Secretary General, George Deinkoru, Assistant Secretary General, and Eric Omare, Spokesman.
Others are Felicia Ngeri, Women’s Leader, Wisdom Ukuli, Mobilisation Officer, Alfred Kemepade, Financial Secretary, Ben Bowei, Treasurer and Ekine Egbeinkuro, Legal Adviser.
