Oshiomhole is a politician who is currently active and can thus not say what we all know and can say freely. I.e same way fuel marketers license was handed to crooked cronies (by GEJ and Allison-Madueke) who then went on to perpetrate the monumental subsidy scam, that has seriously messed up Nigeria fiscally, is how GEJ deliberately gave protection contracts to militants to facilitate the monumental theft of Nigeria's oil we are seeing today.

We are seeing crazy decisions that makes no sense to even a 3 year old, and have indeed backfired horribly, because the agenda was always one related to massive enrichment of certain 'interest groups' to put them in a position where they are hideously flush with the cash they can then use to control everything and everyone for their own benefit. Crude formula but one delivered with "don't give a damn" gusto.

http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/oshiomhole-massive-oil-theft-inexcusable/153275/

Oshiomhole: Massive Oil Theft Inexcusable

14 Jul 2013
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Governor Adams Oshiomhole


By Olusegun Adeniyi
Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole has said the Federal Government stands the risk of losing its integrity before the public if it fails to deal decisively with the massive theft of crude oil in the Niger Delta that now threatens the nation’s economy.

Oshiomhole decried a situation where the security agencies have seemed incapable of containing the ugly development. He said he told Vice President Namadi Sambo and Finance Minister, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, at the last Federation Account Allocation Committee meeting in Abuja that the current situation was simply unacceptable.

Speaking in a chat with THISDAY, the governor said the Federal Government had stated last December that the nation had about $10 billion in the Excess Crude Account, only to be informed it had been drawn down to less than $5 billion at the last meeting of the National Economic Council.

Oshiomhole said: “When I sought for explanation, we were told the account was drawn down to augment the budget. Since the federal budget benchmark for crude is 79 dollar per barrel and oil has not sold below $100 this year, I could not understand that kind of arithmetic and then we were told it’s because we are losing about 400,000 barrels of crude per day to thieves. Now, these criminal elements, do they come with buckets or how come we are unable to apprehend them with all our security agencies?”

The governor said what he considered baffling was that at the height of militancy in the Niger Delta, before the declaration of the amnesty programme, which helped to bring down criminality, the nation never witnessed this kind of situation


“No nation should live with this kind of situation, that we would surrender our national assets to thieves? I hope those of us who call ourselves leaders in this nation will find solution to this problem before we lose integrity in the eyes of the public because I find the situation quite baffling that our Navy would simply be lamenting this sort of monumental criminality that is defying solution,” he said.

The heightened attacks on pipelines coincided with the ongoing negotiation between the federal government team and some of the ex-militants for the renewal of the pipeline surveillance contracts amidst pressure from other militants to be accommodated in the deal.

The cost of the expired pipeline contract is put at N5.6 billion. It was awarded by the government to the ex-militants to check oil theft in the once volatile region.

A report by Wall Street Journal last year said Mujaheed Asari-Dokubo got $9 million yearly to pay his 4,000 former foot soldiers to protect the pipelines, while Ebikabowei “Boyloaf” Victor Ben and Ateke Tom got $3.8 million a year apiece to have their men guard the pipelines.

Another ex-militant leader-Government ‘Tompolo’ Ekpmupolo had a $22.9 million a year contract to do the same job.
According to sources, the NNPC evaluation of the performance of the ex-militant leaders showed a poor rating with Tompolo rated highest as “using the contract as directed to protect the pipelines in the Delta.”

Oil production at the peak of militants’ activities in the Niger Delta was at 1.3 million barrels per day while output increased progressively up to 2.7 million barrels per day after the amnesty programme and the award of pipelines surveillance contracts.

Since the beginning of this year, oil theft and pipeline vandalism have risen with Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) recently shutting down the Imo River trunk line in its eastern operation and reducing production by 25,000 barrels daily.
Several crude theft points were found on the facility.

Oshiomhole also spoke on the Sovereign Wealth Fund and frantic preparations for the 2015 election in some quarters.
On SWF, which funding modality the governors and Federal Government have sharply disagreed over, Oshiomhole queried the method adopted by the federal government.

“We all know it is good to save but there are questions as to when do we save, what do we save for, where do we save and how do we save? These are some of the questions they are refusing to answer because it’s simplistic to say there is only one way to save.”

Arguing further, the governor said: “My position has always been that we should reason together but the federal government does not want a debate, they just want some so-called experts to come and lecture us. Now, let us look at it this way: If as a family man living in a rented apartment, you come up with N100 million. Some may say the best way to save that money is to put it in a bank but others may argue, ‘why don’t we use it to build a property, which would generate more income and attract better value in future?

“Looking at it that way within the context of a country, does it not make sense to use such money to fix our infrastructure, build and equip standard hospitals, good schools and so on? For me, those are better investments in the future than keeping the money in a bank when you are not even sure of the value it would attract tomorrow.

“In any case, what is the sense of saving N100 million at home and borrowing N110 million abroad? We cannot continue to deceive our people. So my challenge has always been that these so-called experts of ours should come to the threshing floor so we can debate these issues with some common sense.”

The governor also spoke about the 2015 general elections and what he described as the increasing desperation of some principal actors, arguing that it bodes ill for the country.

Oshiomole dey on that long tin o ?
Him Neva hear of transformation agenda .
Oil don trnsform into money,disappear into fresh air.
"Everybody say fresh air " (fela style).
Yeah yeah.

I've been saying same thing about the fuccckkkinng SWF since it's inception!!! The nations with huge SWF are nations with developed infrastructure not nations like Nigeria..

I've been shouting this on NL since!!! GEJ apologists and lap dog dik suckers always find some wak economic hypothesis to support the crude and fraudulent decision. Okonjo Iweala is getting her cut for every fund Nigeria saves abroad..

Nigerians WE WILL KILL THEM ALLL!!!!! I HOPE NO ONE WILL BE MAD WHEN THE KHAKI BOYS TAKE OVER!!

Lol! Gbawe all your threads have made front page since this week with this your hussle! Oya open another thread on jonathan fast fast! Wow! Something is telling me that all this media stunt by the opposition will seriously backfire and the masses will vote for Gej enmasse again in 2015 like they did in 2011. Lol! Mods oya front page sharp sharp.

Lol! You dont want to wait for the polls in 2015 again? Is it now the khaki boys take over? Let buhari your godfather go test his popularity in 2015 again joorh, abi you don dey fear ni? Khaki boys my foot! Go to the polls and vote Gej out, stop all this your noise making they are boring us jare.

0lumide: I've been saying same thing about the fuccckkkinng SWF since it's inception!!! The nations with huge SWF are nations with developed infrastructure not nations like Nigeria..

I've been shouting this on NL since!!! GEJ apologists and lap dog dik suckers always find some wak economic hypothesis to support the crude and fraudulent decision. Okonjo Iweala is getting her cut for every fund Nigeria saves abroad..

Nigerians WE WILL KILL THEM ALLL!!!!! I HOPE NO ONE WILL BE MAD WHEN THE KHAKI BOYS TAKE OVER!!

donchris999: Lol! You dont want to wait for the polls in 2015 again? Is it now the khaki boys take over? Let buhari your godfather go test his popularity in 2015 again joorh, abi you don dey fear ni? Khaki boys my foot! Go to the polls and vote Gej out, stop all this your noise making they are boring us jare.

The truth is there will be no election in 2015!!!!!!!!!! Mark it bro.

If there is an election, GEJ will not be a candidate. When the so called democrats happen to be using force to perpetuate evil, the force will take over from them simple!!!

All top military officers will die especially the ones pro PDP. They will all die. Do you know the talk in the military? The corruption is affecting the corrupted. The junior officers see senior officers carting dollars away and they are even the ones guarding the money but nothing goes to them. They are sent to die in North and ND. Omo face front oo because it's coming.

GEJ will DIE! Everyone including the opposition is trying to prevent military take over but the truth is it's inevitable and it will be supported by the people.

donchris999: Lol! You dont want to wait for the polls in 2015 again? Is it now the khaki boys take over? Let buhari your godfather go test his popularity in 2015 again joorh, abi you don dey fear ni? Khaki boys my foot! Go to the polls and vote Gej out, stop all this your noise making they are boring us jare.

And OHH kpomo man, you see nothing wrong in saving billions in foreign banks while our banks can't give loans for local industries to expand? You see nothing wrong in that?

Only election dey your mind shay? like GEJ like his com lickers

Oh my God! Why are you killing yourself? Lmao! You and Gbawe should go and open another thread on how Gej loots 100billion dollars joorh! It will definitely hit front page. The Mods are waiting patiently for them ojare! One day na one day. You think nigerians are fool? Lol! This reminds me of lyod chidi who almost killed a fellow lawmaker with a mace and the next day on the frontpage of punch newspaper was chidi lyod's picture on a hospital bed. If not for videos and technology. You lots think nigerians are fo.o.o.l bah?

0lumide:

And OHH kpomo man, you see nothing wrong in saving billions in foreign banks while our banks can't give loans for local industries to expand? You see nothing wrong in that?

Only election dey your mind shay? like GEJ like his com lickers

bloggernaija: Oshiomole dey on that long tin o ?
Him Neva hear of transformation agenda .
Oil don trnsform into money,disappear into fresh air.
"Everybody say fresh air " (fela style).
Yeah yeah.

This is more or less what is happening literally i.e money disappearing. yet not into "fresh air" but into pockets friendly towards "fresh air".

Many said it that awarding protection contracts to militant, when Nigeria had a functional Navy and could even create a specialist force if needed, was a senselessly crude action that could only be a precursor to scamming Nigeria and siphoning the wealth of the Nation into private pockets. How can militants be given such important duties?

Is it not shocking how far back GEJ has taken Nigeria? In GEJ's kingdom, you can be a mentally warped and amoral warlord yesterday who killed coldly. Yet today you are fit to receive a multi billion dollar contract protecting the wealth of a nation Where is it done? Sheer madness !!!

In civilised nations Morality, that is seen and demonstrated over a long time, would be of utmost important for such a serious duty!!! This is why it should have been the Navy, or a specialist force created out of it, that should be solely considered for this because the Navy (at least more than the militants) will host men who are professional, well-trained and loyal to their duty.

Now we are all seeing the results validating those logical voices who questioned how everyone, Senate et al, could sit back and let GEJ get away with an insane decision that was always going to end badly. How can a nation be full of so may political suicide bombers i.e those who watch while damaging actions are taken against Nigeria? I guess they all don't care since they figure they will always be rich enough to buy security, electricity, health treatment abroad et al. "Fresh air" indeed.

It pays to be a militant, doesn't it?

Donchraze999 A. K. A S9, how tins na?

berem: It pays to be a militant, doesn't it?

Well, it certainly pays under GEJ. Get millions of dollars legitimately for "protection contract" and get many, many more millions supervision the theft of oil you are meant to be gaurding. What could be better and easier than the perfect scam of 'eating' from the FG and the black market with no hassle at all?

One day, like the subsidy scam, GEJ will turn around to play victim and tell us "Nigeria will collapse" if oil theft is not checked never mind that he is the one in charge of oil theft via his senseless action of handing over oil pipeline protection to militant warlords. Anyhoo, na so we see am.