- Nigeria lost N2.1tr to militancy, says NNPC boss
There were signs of threats yesterday to the dialogue between the Federal Government and Niger Delta militants through the Pan-Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF).
A militant group, Niger Delta Greenland Justice Mandate (NDGJM), claimed to have destroyed another oil pipeline in Delta and threatened to do more.
Also, a new group, the Niger Delta Defence Corps (NDDC), said it would launch many attacks as from tomorrow.
In a statement by its spokesperson Aldo Agbalaja, NDGJM said it brought down the 32-inch Effurun-Otor pipeline in Ughelli area of Delta State late Saturday night.
The militants opposed the representatives of the region in PANDEF.
The statement said it did not object to a dialogue between the Federal Government and the region, adding that such dialogue should be held with reliable people from the region.
NDGJM said it was collating names from all parts of the region for the dialogue.
The statement said: “At 23.30 hours (11.30 p.m) on Saturday, October 29, in furtherance of the Operation Hammurabi Code, our Akuma Strike Team struck and brought down the 32-inch Effurun-Otor delivery line. This is not ending soon; we shall fulfil our promise of uprooting your assets in our land.
“We are reiterating our unflinching belief that the Pan-Niger Delta Forum, being coordinated by E. K. Clark, is a joke and, therefore, can never get our support.
“Like we said before, the Niger Delta Greenland Justice Mandate is not opposed to a genuine dialogue between the Federal Government and real representatives of the various nations of our region. We are collecting names from the region, those who will sincerely and equitably represent our various peoples.”
Also, in an online statement by its spokesman Egbe, Niger Delta Defence Corps said its attacks on oil facilities would be carried out simultaneously in Delta and Rivers states.
In the meantime, Nigeria has lost over N2 trillion to militancy and pipeline vandalism since the beginning of the year, Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Maikanti Baru has said.
He said: “Over 7000kpd of crude oil has been lost due to vandalism this year. A bulk of the loss is from JV assets.
“This implies that 60 per cent of oil production lost is NNPC-FGN equity. At an estimated price of $45 per barrel, the total 2016 revenue loss to the Federation Account translates to about $7 billion.
“This loss is equivalent to a new 7,000mw power plant; new 350kpd refinery; over 30 per cent of national budget; and a new 1,700- kilometre pipeline,’’ he was quoted as saying by online newspaper Premium Times
To resolve this, Baru said the NNPC planned to increase security of oil and gas assets, improve its community social responsibility and the amnesty programme.
He added that the NNPC planned “to renegotiate terms of Production Sharing Contracts with deep offshore operating companies because with the current agreement, only 17.7 per cent of total revenue comes to government”.
Nation
