Ijaw Youths
Council (IYC) has expressed support to plans by the federal government to step
up the fight against oil theft and pipeline vandalism in the Niger Delta.
Reacting to the announcement by President Goodluck
Jonathan that federal government has earmarked the sum of $1 bln to fight oil theft and vandalism of oil
infrastructure, the IYC noted that the group welcomes the idea.
President Jonathan announced the setting up of a
technical committee on oil theft at the World Nuclear Summit in Netherlands on
March 22.
Mr Eric Omare, Spokesman of IYC in a statement released
in Yenagoa on Sunday urged the federal government to adopt the template used in
the amnesty programme for the scheme to succeed.
According to Omare, the exclusion of the members of the
oil communities in the fight against oil theft
has been responsible for the limited success recorded so far.
“The Ijaw Youth Council, Worldwide welcomes the idea of
the Federal Government taking drastic
and holistic approach to address the problem of oil theft in Nigeria
considering the massive ecological damage that oil theft and vandalism of oil
facilities has caused to the Niger Delta environment.
“However, the IYC, Worldwide wish to state that no
programme to fight oil theft and oil infrastructures vandalism would be
effective without the involvement of the people of the oil producing
communities and other critical stakeholders in the Niger Delta region in the
formulation and implementation of the programme,” the IYC stated.
Omare explained that the
amnesty programme for ex- agitators in the Niger Delta succeeded because
of the involvement of key stakeholders such as the youth leaders, state governments
in the conception and implementation.
“Therefore, we call on President Jonathan to organise a
Presidential Summit on oil theft which would involve the people of the oil
producing communities and other critical stakeholders as the knowledge of the
local people would be of immense benefit in finding solution to the menace of
oil theft.
“ The solution to oil theft cannot be found by office
based technocrats. The solution lies with the people of the oil producing
communities of the Niger Delta Region.
“The knowledge of those who know the operations of the
syndicates involved in the act of oil theft is crucial in coming up with the
appropriate policy.
“The IYC further calls on the Technical Committee to
organise public hearings to seek the views of members of the public especially
the oil producing communities on how best to tackle the problem of oil theft
and oil facilities vandalism,” it stated
