Nigerian House Navy Committee Tackles Illegal Bunkering

Illegal oil bunkering is one of the many problems militating against the smooth running of the oil industry in Nigeria. This problem has been acknowledged by the House of Representatives Committee on Navy, which was recently inaugurated by the Speaker, Hon. (Mrs) Patricia Olubunmi Etteh. Beginning almost five decades ago, the House of Representatives Committee on Navy, has been fighting illegal oil bunkering. Hon. Adamu in his address at the occasion lamented the colossal sums of money being lost, estimated at almost $2m a day, by the country to the activities of illegal bunkering in the sector. According to Adamu, his committee would take a dispassionate look at the Navy Act of 1964, which has been superseded by the Armed Forces Decree 105 of 1993 with a view to ascertaining its usefulness to the present day realities of the force. He said to do this, the committee would organize public hearings on bunkering and the continued existence and need of those that have been described as legal and illegal bunkerers in the nation's oil industry and ascertain the level of economic harm they and their activities have done to the nation. He said the committee would strive to ensure that the Navy is well and promptly funded to live up to its expectations by providing the executive with adequate budgetary provisions. In addition, the Navy committee is to review all operations in the Niger Delta in consultations with all the stakeholders in the area with a view to evolving a more mutually acceptable operational procedure for such operations. [Source: http://allafrica.com]