In a recent meeting at the Government House in Yenagoa, Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State urged the chairmen of the eight local government areas to establish task forces aimed at addressing the issue of crude oil theft within their jurisdictions.
The directive from Governor Diri follows discussions held between the governors of oil-producing states and the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, in Abuja last week.
These local government task forces are expected to work in collaboration with the Bayelsa State Community Safety Corps to combat crude oil theft.
Governor Diri emphasized that the illicit activities of crude oil bunkering and theft have had a significant negative impact on the revenues of oil-producing states, as well as causing environmental degradation.
He stated, “Following the discussions in Abuja, I have reached out to you as you play a critical role at the local government level in combating crude oil theft.
“The prevalence of oil theft and bunkering in our local government areas is alarming and given the Federal Government’s involvement of states and local governments in tackling this issue, it is imperative that we all work together to eradicate it.
“The Federal Government is making efforts to boost oil production and by curbing oil theft, production levels would increase, subsequently leading to higher revenues for states and local governments.”
In addressing the nationwide protest scheduled for August 1, Governor Diri urged council chairmen to maintain peace across communities by exercising their authority effectively.
He also instructed the council chairmen to provide suitable accommodations for officials from the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency to facilitate their operations within their respective areas.
Furthermore, Governor Diri directed that all public offices, markets, and businesses in the state should resume normal operations on Thursday.
This directive was issued during a visit by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri, to the Government House in Yenagoa on Wednesday.
While acknowledging the democratic right to protest, Governor Diri emphasized that such actions must be motivated by valid reasons that can be resolved through constructive dialogue.