The House of Representatives on Thursday unveiled plans to investigate the lingering crisis between Nigeria Navy and private Security outfits engaged by Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) to protect oil installations in the Niger Delta region.
The resolution was passed sequel to the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by Hon. Donald Ojogo, who solicited for the House intervention.
In his lead debate, Ojogu observed that the Nigerian Navy, by law, is a statutory National security agency and an Arm of the three Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria established with the sole purpose of protecting Nigeria’s Maritime Integrity and territorial waters.
“The House is aware also that this sole responsibility covers the protection of Nigeria’s national assets including the nation’s oil and gas infrastructure across the water belts of the country covering Inland, onshore and offshore waters.
“The House is further aware that the Nigerian Navy has a history of commendable exploits within and outside Nigeria while on operations, making the Nation proud.
“The House notes however, that in its bid to take full advantage of human potentials across the Nation’s oil belt, the Niger Delta, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), then as Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) in August 2022, firmed out intricate aspects of securing the Nation’s Oil and Gas assets to some private security firms with deep knowledge of the areas in question.
“The House notes also that this was done to protect such assets from vandals in order to stem oil theft, enhance productivity and ultimately engender higher production output to grow the nation’s economy through increased revenue.
“The House notes further that such arrangements have recorded some positive results with regards to production output even as the 2024 Budget Estimates presented to the National Assembly by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, alluded to high expectations of further increase in output by benchmarking same at 1.7m BPD.
“But concerning that these high expectations could only have been on the strength of efficient, effective and robust collaboration and synergy of both the Statutory Security outfit, in this case, the Nigerian Navy and custodians of delegated duties(private security firms) appear to be threatened by an unhealthy rivalry and incessant conflicts of operational responsibilities.
“The House is also concerned that these cases of unchecked open conflicts and altercations have almost reached an embarrassing level of media brickbats between the Navy and some private security firms with such assigned responsibilities.
“The House is further concerned that just last week, there was a reported case of an exchange of gunfire between men of the Nigerian Navy and operatives of a private security outfit on the coastal waters of Ondo State and parties involved adduced or advanced reasons for their actions and inactions with accusations and counter-accusations.
“The House is worried that if this trend continues, an unachievable oil output projection looms ahead of the 2024 Fiscal Year and that the implications of such development on the economy will be negative,” he noted.
To this end, the House mandated the Special Committee on Oil Theft chaired by Hon. Alhassan Ado-Doguwa which also comprises chairmen of joint Committees on Downstream, Midstream, Gas Resources, Ports and Harbours, Niger Delta and Environment to investigate the cause(s) of the endless rivalry and conflict of operational responsibilities between the Nigerian Navy and concerned private security firms engaged by the NNPCL.
. TheWitness
