The President of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) Mr Igwe Achese has advised the federal government to re-engage the services of a security outfit managed by some ex-militants in the Niger Delta for the security of crude oil facilities in the region.

The union leader, who decried the effects of vandalism of oil installations on the nation’s revenue, said that the re-engagement of the private security outfit which was hired by the last administration is the quick fix to the problem of vandalism in the region.

“Nigeria is at the cross road. We are a living witness to workers being laid off daily. The national oil revenue has dwindled with the global oil loot.

“The low price of crude oil fluctuates around 38 and 34 dollars while those working are owed old salaries for upfront of 6 months, it is a very sad story, and the trade union movement is the worst hit in the oil and gas industry as redundancy has become the order of the day. So far over 3,000 workers have been retrenched since the recession began.

“We found out the frequent vandalism of pipelines by so called militants which has inflicted our supply of the crude oil for export. We therefore call on the federal government to increase security surveillance to speed the task in establishing pipeline protection agency being fully committed to reduce the surge. This we have always been making,” he said.

He also urged the federal government to establish a pipeline protection agency that will provide a long-term solution to the problems of vandalism and other forms of criminality in the Niger Delta.

“That the pipeline protection agency should be created, in the interim, we suggest that the former private security outfit hired by the last administration to secure the pipelines be reinstated so that there will be no further destruction of oil facilities which enables us make 2.8 billion barrels per day production.