The Ijaw Youth Council, IYC, Worldwide on Saturday alleged that the Joint Task Force, JTF, and other security agencies are part of the Illegal oil bunkering in the Niger Delta region.
IYC president, Barr. Oweilaemi Rolland Pereotubor made the assertion at a press conference at the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Warri Correspondents’ Chapel.
Pereotubor asserted that the JTF does not have the capacity to secure and monitor pipelines in the region.
He stated that the JTF personnel have become businessmen, stressing that, “they supply houseboats and foodstuffs to military personnel in the houseboats. It is unfair, at our detriment.
IYC president said the JTF headed by the Navy should be brought to book as “in their presence, you see oil theft.”
He added that politicians contract the policing of pipelines to themselves and their friends.
Pereotubor said, “The Navy cannot in their own complacence accuse or say that Ijaw people or the Niger Delta People have not done enough.
“The JTF, where the Navy high command is part of, should be brought to book. That’s why it is the government has spent so much money to ensure that there is no illegal bunkering, there’s no oil theft.
“In their presence, you see oil theft, you see illegal bunkering everywhere. It as a result of oil theft and illegal bunkering that there’s soot in Rivers state which is very hazardous to human lives.
“If care is not taken, the soot that you see in Rivers state will spread to all parts of the Niger Delta.
“I use this opportunity to call on the UN, to call on the International communities to come to our aid to arrest the situation in Rivers state.
“As a result of the soot in Rivers State and part of the Niger Delta, our women are having cancer. Our women are having all kind of ailments. Some of our women cannot give birth to children again. It is because of illegal bunkering.
“The money that Federal Government is spending on the military, JTF to secure pipelines in the Niger Delta is enough to develop the Niger Delta region.”
Pereotubor stated that the manning of oil installations should be left to Ex-Niger militant, High Chief Oweizide Government Ekpemupolo whom he christened as an “expert”.
“Give pipeline surveillance, give monitoring and policing of oil installatiins, facilities to the Ijaw people in the communities.
“Tompolo is an expert on that. Let him police all the pipeline facilities in the Niger Delta and the oil will increase for Federal Government to do businesses.
“It is my fervent call to Federal Government to ensure that the soot in the Niger Delta is addressed.
“We call on the Army hierarchy, Chief of Defense Staff to take a look at the JTF in the Niger Delta.
“I have it on good authority that the JTF Personnel have turned themselves to businessmen in the Niger Delta.”
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