INCREDIBLE: AFRICA’S OIL KLEPTOCRACY!
‘Bayelsa, Nigeria’s President Home Town, Haven of Highest Oil Theft in 5yrs’-Al-Jazeera
*Why Nigeria is losing $billions to Syndicate *Illegal workers say no other income source
* ON THE RISE: ‘Southern Ijaw Oil Theft Arrest, Destruction of Multiple Illegal Refineries for Stolen Crude’
* “Low-level arrests on Issue, No Serious Large-Scale Prosecution’–Rawya, Al-Jazeera Snr. Correspondent in Nigeria
* ‘Govt not doing enough to secure oil pipeline installations’– Nengi James, activist
*Nigerian Govt: “$8billon lost in Oil theft, Industrial-Scale last year”
BY SAMSON SHOAGA/MANAGING EDITOR, NEW YORK & TIMI DIBLOA/CRIME REPORTER, BAYELSA
LATEST information reaching us indicate that Bayelsa State, the home town of incumbent president of Nigeria, Goodluck Jonathan has become the ‘ highest, open-pot of stolen crude’ by some highly desperate militants, secretly enjoy the backing of some ‘highly-placed politicians’, causing the vast majority of Nigerian populace to continually live-below $1 per day.
This shocking discovery was corroborated by an under-cover investigation undertaken by Rawya Rageh, Senior Correspondent in South-South, Nigeria who revealed how Nigeria is facing its worst oil crisis in years, bearing in mind that the ‘Giant of Africa’ is losing billions of dollars due to oil theft- ‘highest in African continent.’
*Why Nigeria is losing $Billions to Syndicate
In an exclusive mail received by Naija Standard from Kevin Kriedemann & Joy Sapieka
Publicists: Africa, AL JAZEERA MEDIA NETWORK, it states that Rawya observed that “Nigeria is facing its worst oil crisis in years, as the country is losing billions of dollars due to theft.”
Al-Jazeera Africa’s publicists explained that “In Southern Ijaw in Bayelsa State, Al Jazeera’s Rawya Rageh follows an oil theft arrest and the destruction of multiple illegal refineries for stolen crude.
For Rawya, she says: “Despite these efforts, oil theft in Nigeria is at its highest levels in five years since the government gave amnesty to former rebels in the area.”
She stated regarding the position of Nigerian government that President Jonathan’s administration claims eight billion dollars was lost in ‘industrial-scale’ oil theft to some ‘syndicates’. Her words: “The Nigerian government says eight billion dollars in revenue were lost in ‘industrial-scale’ theft last year and multinational oil giants have started reducing their on-shore presence here, selling off fields as a result of the theft.”
Illegal workers lament
Rawya said concerning illegal oil workers, “They say they have no other potential form of income and to activist Nengi James, who blames the government for not doing enough to secure the pipeline infrastructure and prosecute suspects.”
This investigative reporter sums up her observation by saying: “Despite low-level arrests on the issue, there have been no serious large-scale prosecutions. Until those at the helm of this illegal trade are held to account, Nigeria’s riches will keep burning away.”
