President Goodluck Jonathan on Monday called on the Maritime Operations Coordinating Committee to develop a strategy that will help the government to completely eliminate crude oil theft in Nigeria.
The president made the call while delivering his remarks at the presidential maritime security retreat in Abuja.
“It is embarrassing that it is only in Nigeria that crude oil is stolen,” President Jonathan said.
“We will be decisive in putting an end to this malaise. Our charge to all relevant agencies and departments of government is to work cooperatively with the required urgency this challenge deserves,” he added.
Mr Jonathan, who acknowledged that “the maritime sector is a critical component in the economic development of a modern state, listed poaching, piracy, pipeline vandalism, coastal insecurity, crude oil theft, illegal bunkering, non-payment of statutory levies and charges, illegal entry of ships into our territorial waters, illegal importation of arms and hard drugs, among other sundry crimes as some of the problems militating against the development of Nigerian maritime resources.
“To this end, the Maritime Operations Coordinating Committee is already working to address all illegalities in the maritime domain. The Committee comprises all maritime agencies, Ministries of Transport, Finance and Justice. Also, a sustainable patrol arrangement to enhance collection of revenue and ensure maritime safety has also been approved. We are encouraging an integrated port security system in all the ports for maximum result,” the president said.
He challenged participants at the workshop “to come up with deliverables that provide details on roles and responsibilities of stakeholders and timelines for harnessing the huge potentials in the maritime sector so that our losses will, in the shortest possible time, be converted to our net gains.”
